Reckless Endangerment
by DreamxSequence
Summary: Ranger saves Stephanie once again when she calls him from her wedding to Joe, but what will happen when matters of their relationship is left in Stephanie's hands? Babe, Cupcake Friendly, but still tender. Rated M, just in case .
1. Something Familiar

I would love everyone to know that this is my first story, so please, go easy on me.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything. It's all Janet Evanovich's, with my words.

But, if anyone wants to get me Ranger, I will NOT object =)

Next chapter will hopefully be posted soon. Very soon.

~kj

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I made a beautiful bride, that much I had to admit.

Having managed to maintain my weight at a steady one hundred and twenty, my wedding dress fit perfectly. It was white with beading on the top. The dress was strapless and tight to my hips, where it flared out into a crumbled princess skirt.

My blue eyes looked stunning, staring back at me in the mirror. Outlined and shadowed perfectly, the blue was highlighted and shone out brilliantly. My naturally wild, curly brown hair was still hanging unruly in crazy tendrils.

I was a beautiful bride. From the dress, to my hair and makeup, to the shoes.

Lula and I had shopped for hours, looking for the shoes. Heals three inches high, white with rhinestones. They were perfect.

I had the bride part down, but the rest of the wedding was a mess.

I was marrying for all the wrong reasons. Sure, I loved Morelli, but I wasn't _in_ love with him. He was a great man. He had a stable job, a house, a dog, he enjoyed the simple things. Pino's, a cold beer, the game on TV.

He was a great man, just not for me.

A moment of realization hit me as I looked in the mirror, the ring on my finger sparkling in the sunlight that was streaming through the window.

I'm marrying Morelli because that's what everyone wants me to do. It's what's expected in the Burg. My mother has wanted me to settle down and get married to Morelli before I even brought him home for dinner. Morelli wanted me to marry him, have his babies, stay home all day and become a housewife, instead of continuing my career as a bounty hunter.

And _Ranger._ There was always Ranger. Well, he sent me back to Morelli.

Everyone seemed to think it was a good idea to marry Morelli. Now, because I had wanted to make everyone around me finally happy, I had given up and taken the ring. I had helped plan this ridiculous wedding and picked out a dress and shoes. I convinced myself to be happy about this, when in reality, I was trying to run and get away from it.

I looked away from the mirror and looked back at my sparkling blue eyes.

I can't marry Morelli. It's just not what I want.

I stood and rushed to my purse, where my cell phone was sitting idly in the bottom. I pulled it out and dialed the number one speed dial.

"Yo." A husky voice picked up. How I _loved_ that voice.

"I need help."

"Cold feet."

"It's not cold feet! I can't do this."

"Cold feet." He said again.

"I promise you, it's not cold feet. Ranger, we haven't talked since I took the ring. I won't be happy if I do this. We both know it. I can't make everyone else happy without being concerned about my own. Please, I need help."

"What can I do?"

"I just…I need help. I moved in with him, I don't have my apartment anymore. I don't know what to do. He'll be furious."

Smooth move, Steph. Talk yourself into a nervous breakdown.

"Calm down. I'll be right there." I heard the click of the phone and knew that he had hung up.

I made sure that my "honeymoon" suitcase was ready to go by the door.

The second I took the ring from Morelli, Ranger had instantly put a large amount of space between us. He didn't break into my apartment anymore, which was good, because I had moved out. He didn't call me, not that he ever did. He didn't pull me outside the bonds office for an alley make out session. For all he knew, I had died, but he was still the one I called when I needed help.

Morelli and I had such a long history that I had convinced myself that it made sense for me to marry him. He took my virginity behind the pastry counter when I was sixteen, not that I much objected. We had been an on and off again relationship for part of our adult lives.

The bridal suite door opening made me jump out of my chair in surprise.

"Ranger." I said, my hand flying to my pounding heart.

Ranger was a Cuban God bestowed upon earth as a gift to women. He had mocha skin and black hair, which he was wearing long again, to my enjoyment. He was tall and extremely muscular, gorgeous perfection head to toe. He was wearing his usual painted on black t-shirt and cargo pants.

"Babe."

_Babe. _He said _babe. _The famous Ranger word that he said in place of perhaps half the English dictionary. This time, it stood in for, "I'll grab the suitcase, you get your purse. Lets go."

Sure enough, Ranger reached for the suitcase and nodded towards the doorway. The wedding wasn't due to start for an hour, so no one would be hanging around my bridal suite. I left the engagement ring that Morelli gave me on the vanity table and grabbed my purse and followed Ranger out the door.

In the back hallway of the church, he quickly led me out a side door to the parking lot, where his orgasmic black Turbo 911 was waiting, tinted windows and all. He swiftly unlocked the car and put my suitcase in the trunk. I carefully climbed into the passenger seat, making sure all of my dress was in before I closed the door. I buckled the seatbelt and a moment later, Ranger was beside me, quickly pulling out of the parking lot.

"Ranger, I-"

"You always have a room and job at Rangeman."

That was all he said until we pulled into the Rangeman garage. We climbed out of his car and he grabbed my suitcase as we walked to the elevator. Ranger pressed the number I knew was the floor for employee apartments. We rode the elevator in silence, and when it stopped, he led me to a door and handed me a key.

"Babe." He said, then disappeared.

"Freaking Batman." I said as I unlocked the door and rolled my suitcase in.

It was the same apartment he had given me years ago. Simple, a small kitchen, a living room, bedroom and bathroom. I closed the door behind me and went to the bedroom, to find several of my belongings scattered throughout the room. On the nightstand, I saw my cell phone chord, which I was sure I had left at Morelli's house. Most of my clothes were already in the closet, and my toiletries in the bathroom. I unpacked my suitcase into the closet, careful to keep everything neat and tidy. On top of the bed, there were two pairs of black Rangeman cargo pants and two Rangeman shirts.

Subtle hint.

I changed out of the wedding dress and hung it on one of the higher hangers in the closet. I put the shoes on a shelve with all the other shoes in my closet. I pulled out a plain pair of black flip-flops and put on the Rangeman uniform. I put the flip flops on and put the key in my pocket as I walked into the kitchen. Sitting on the kitchen counter was my favorite fish aquarium.

"Rex!" I greeted him. No motion. I tapped on the soup can until my hamster, Rex, sleepily walked out, blinked at me, and went back into his can to sleep.

I walked out of the apartment door and took the elevator to the control room. Several familiar faces were sitting in front of monitors, seeming to not be paying much attention. Immediately, Tank and Lester greeted me.

"Bombshell!"

I smiled and gave a finger wave. "Who did that epic move from the house to the room?" I asked, hoping they would know what I was talking about.

"That was us. We were told we had ten minutes to complete the perfect move."

"Is everything set up alright?" Lester interrupted Tank.

"Yes, it's perfect. Thanks so much."

"Anytime. So, what happened with the cop?" Lester asked.

I shrugged. "You know."

Tank winked at me. "Yeah, I know. He's in there." He nodded his head to a door in the corner at the end of the wall of monitors.

"Thanks." I smiled again and walked to the door. I knocked lightly.

"Come in." I heard a voice within call.

I walked in and Ranger looked up from paperwork. My heart pounded lightly as our eyes met.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Searches, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind." I stood awkwardly as Ranger went back to his paperwork. There was so much that I wanted to say to him. Along the lines of, "I love you, I want you. Take me now."

"Ranger, I just wanted to thank you so-"

"Babe." He interrupted me, looking up briefly.

"Oh…" I barely squeaked out. "Okay, I'll just get to those searches." I walked out of his office, trying hard not to let the tears well up in my eyes as I walked to my usual cubical and started up the computer.

"Give him time," a soothing voice whispered over the top of the cubical wall. I looked up to see Tank standing over, giving me a small smile.


	2. Light Bulbs

I told you =)

First of all, I want to thank the lovely people who reviewed the first chapter!

You're all beautiful!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything, it's all Janet's. I'm just borrowing and playing with them.

Third chapter will probably be coming as quickly as this one did.

~kj

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lets have a talk tonight, I'll explain everything." Tank said lightly, as if he did not want anyone else to hear.

"Okay." I gave him a small smile as he disappeared.

I went to work on the searches, letting the work absorb my attention from all of my feelings and emotions to the terrible day that I wanted to get my mind off of.

During the day, one name stuck in my head, Frederick Menlo, a serious criminal being charged with some serious crimes.

Before I knew it, Tank had shown up again at my cubical.

"Come on." He told me. "You look exhausted, and I think you need to have this conversation as soon as possible."

"Okay." I yawned, turning off the power. Tank and I walked to the elevator and took it up to my apartment. We sat in the kitchen at bar stools, Tank had helped himself to a beer from the fridge and I made myself a sandwich.

"I found out through Lula that you finally took the ring. Ranger didn't hear anything until almost a week after the fact. I was surprised that you didn't tell him, not that I blame you. What happened was, in the days before he found out, he had been planning this big thing for you and him. He was going to trick you into thinking you were doing a class distraction for him, but he was actually going to take you out to dinner. After dinner, he was planning on taking you to the 'Bat cave," as he called it. He just have meant his house, just outside of town. I think he was going to tell you how he felt about you. Anyway, he was getting really excited. One day, he asked me to help him chose a restaurant that I thought you would like, and he told me the plans. When I told him that you had taken the cop's ring…Steph, I've never seen that guy look so down. For a second, his face went from happy and excited to completely disappointed. His smile completely turned upside down and his eyes looked like they could have cried. A second later, he put that blank face on, and has had it on ever since. I think that for some reason, over the past four months, he's always been hoping that you would come back to him. He's always loved you Steph, I just hope it isn't too late."

I sat for a moment and absorbed everything he told me.

"Too late? You don't mean found someone else?" The pain was apparent in my voice. I wasn't like Ranger and Tank, I couldn't hide my emotions.

"No, Steph, even if he tried, I don't think he could move on. I meant that I hope it's not too late for you two to be together. I hope he hasn't given up on love yet."

"Tank, how-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Bombshell, you know as well as I do. I have to go, Lula's waiting for me, but you needed to know that. You'd better check your cell phone." He smiled, ruffled my hair, and left. I locked the door behind him and went to the fridge and dropped a grape in Rex's bowl. I turned the lights out in the apartment and went into the bedroom. I took a quick shower and changed into Power-puff Girl pajama pants and a pink tank top. I climbed into bed and picked my phone up from where it was charging on the bedside table.

I had one missed call and a voicemail, so I listened to it.

"_Stephanie Plum, this is your mother. I hope you have a damned good excuse for not being here today. You are aware that it's your wedding day! You were supposed to be getting married two hours ago, and on the plane to your honeymoon now. You'd better not be leaving poor Joe at the alter. You had better call me back as soon as you get this."_

I decided that maybe she was like dust bunnies, if I ignored her long enough, she would disappear.

I set the alarm and laid down under the blankets, letting myself fall asleep. Even though it was only seven in the evening, I was exhausted, and I needed to sleep.

My dreams were filled with confusion and two different paths. The whole time, I couldn't decide between the two, until I finally chose one. It led me to Ranger, but Ranger turned me away.

I awoke to the alarm clock with a start. It was seven in the morning, which meant that I had gotten twelve full hours of sleep. I felt refreshed and ready to start a new day.

I went to my cubical early, but Ranger approached me even before I got the chance to turn the computer on.

"Don't worry about the searches today. Go back to your apartment. Ella needs new measurements for uniforms."

"Okay."

So I went to my apartment and Ella did measurements, which lasted for all of five minutes. I was left in my apartment the rest of the day, apparently not needed on the main floor.

The next morning, I was about to start the computer when Ranger stopped me and told me that I had training in the gym to do. I was forced to work out all day, running on the treadmill and doing a small amount of muscle building.

Again, the next morning, Ranger sent me to the basement for the shooting training. It was as if he would do anything to get rid of me, so he wouldn't have to see me in the control room.

The fifth day of my being in the Rangeman building, Ranger had me go to the bonds office for a change and pick up the Rangeman bonds.

"Stephanie!" Connie greeted me, looking surprised.

"White girl!" Lula looked up from a box of donuts, surrounded by piles of folders around her. Apparently, she hasn't been doing her filing. Again.

"Hi."

"You've got some explaining to do." Connie told me.

"Okay okay. So I'm about to get married, and I freak, I realize that I wasn't doing it for my own happiness or love. It was just to make everyone else happy. So I called Ranger and he picked me up, and I've been staying in the Rangeman building since."

"You're staying with him?!" Connie almost yelled, fanning herself with a folder.

"Girl, I know you. I know when you're sleeping with Batman, and girl, you're not sleeping with Batman." Lula summed it all up.

"You're staying with him, and you're not sleeping with him." Connie repeated. "I'm sorry, that isn't making sense. What is wrong with you?!"

"Look," I said, sitting on a chair in beside Connie's desk. "I don't think he wants me. Tank told me that story and-"

"Yeah, we know the story." Connie sighed. "Don't worry Steph, he'll come around."

Lula shoved a chocolate donut into her mouth.

"He doesn't seem to want me around. He sent me here to pick up the Rangeman bonds, which by the way Connie, can I have?"

"Oh, sure Steph." Connie turned around to the table behind her desk and handed me four folders. "There are some big ones there this time."

I leafed through the pile, looking at the money on each. "Shit. Fifty thousand?"

"Yeah, who's that guy?"

"Umm…Frederick Menlo." I knew that name.

"That guy, he's hardcore. He was involved in this massive drug smuggling business, robbed a bank, killed a couple of guys. There isn't much he hasn't done."

"I think I did a search on this guy yesterday. Weird." I shrugged it off.

"So, what are you going to do about Ranger?" Connie asked, leaning foreword.

"I don't know what I can do. He doesn't seem to want me around. He gives me an apartment and a job, but brushes me off when I try to thank him."

"Girl, you gotta do something to get his attention." Lula said. She seemed to bright up when she thought of it, as if a light bulb had turned on in her head.

"I don't know-"

"She's onto something!" Now Connie had a light bulb turned on in her head. "Get a skip, make sure you get down and dirty, blow up a car or sprain your ankle doing so. He'll rush to your side, to make sure you're okay."

"Sure, he'll make sure I'm okay, but that's it. Then he'll just lock himself up in his office and avoid me. I can tell that he doesn't want me around."

Lula stood up, hand on one hip. "Girl, then you got to show him that you're going to be around. Damn, he's the freaking wizard. Do you want him?"

"Well, yeah." I shrugged.

"Do you love him?"

I shrugged, but I felt my cheeks turn bright red.

"Damn girl, go get him. Go sprain your ankle and make him carry you out of a burning building or something."

Connie laughed. "A burning building?"

"You know what I mean!" Lula sat back down.

I sat in silence for a minute, thinking about everything they said.

"You guys are right! I know what I'm going to do!" I said, excitedly.

"What are you doing to do, Steph?" Connie asked.

"Frederick Menlo." I said, confidently.

"Steph, you can't just do Frederick Menlo."

"And why not?"

"Is that a serious question? Steph, he's a fifty thousand dollar skip. He's seriously dangerous. He's one of Ranger's bonds for a reason."

"I know. Ranger will figure out what I'm involved in after awhile. It'll really get his attention."

"Steph, I don't think this is a good idea." Connie shook her head.

"Girl, I meant go pick up Mooner again or something. Sprain an ankle, not get killed."

"This is a great idea, don't worry. I can handle this. I'll see you guys later." I gave a finger wave and exited the bonds office.

I'm convinced that this is a good idea. All I need is Ranger to be so worried about me that he realizes that he wants me, just like he used to. This is going to work flawlessly.

It has to.


	3. Secret Plans

Everyone who has favourited this story or sent me a review, you're wonderful!

I might not be able tomorrow, so I really wanted to get this out for you.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own, I wish I did, but I don't. Luckily, Janet is pretty good about sharing.

~kj

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I drove back to the Rangeman garage and parked in an empty spot nearest the elevator. I grabbed the files from the seat next to me and got out of the Turbo.

What a wonderful car.

I took the elevator up to the control room and instead of going straight to Ranger's office, I sidetracked to my cubical, where I stashed the Frederick Menlo file in a drawer of the desk.

I grabbed the three remaining folders and knocked on Ranger's office door.

"Come in." He barked after a moment. I timidly went inside, seeing Ranger working on paperwork, again.

"I got the skips." I placed the folders on the side of his desk, inching them foreword towards him with my outstretched fingers, not wanting to move any closer to him.

"Babe." He looked up at me, amused.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you want me to do searches for the rest of the day?" I asked as Ranger reached for the pile and started sifting through them.

"Sure, I don't think there really are any big ones, so you'll finish early."

I left the office and closed the door. To my advantage, Lester and Tank were the two on monitors today, again.

"Hey guys." I waved to them, sitting in the chair between them.

"What's up, Bombshell?" Tank asked.

"Well, I'm on this little mission…"

"Say no more, what do we have to do?" Lester asked, excitedly.

"Well, I don't think this is quite the time or place to discuss it. Lets meet after work."

"Okay. Five on the dot, we'll meet at the elevator and go up to your apartment." Tank grinned.

I went to my cubical and ensured the place of the file. I worked on the searches for other people for an hour, and passed the rest of the time by doing my own searches for Frederick Menlo.

Being a previous bounty hunter hadn't worked out as well as I would have hoped. I had always gotten the smaller skips, and had enough trouble bringing them in, even with occasional help.

This time, I was going after a big, bad guy. I would need all the information and all the help I could get. If Ranger were doing this, he would be doing the same thing. He would get the help of the Merry Men and get all the information he could, create a plan, and attack. In this case, I had to be Ranger. I had to step up to the plate and swing for all I was worth.

When five came around, I powered off the computer and grabbed the searches that I had printed out and put them in the Frederick Menlo folder. I met Tank and Lester by the elevator and we rode up to the apartment floor, where we got out and went into my apartment. I told them to help themselves to anything in the fridge while I went to the ladies room.

I came back to find them sitting at the small table with chairs in the kitchen, beers in hand, staring at the manila folder. I sat across from them and reached out and grabbed the folder.

"So, what's the mission, Bombshell?" Lester asked, still every bit as excited as he was earlier.

"Frederick Menlo." I told them, directly.

"Is he that huge guy who committed almost every crime in the book?" Tank asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded.

"Why is he on your mission list?" Tank didn't look happy about this.

"He's a fifty thousand dollar skip."

"Steph, is this about the money, because-"

"No, Tank. It's not about the money. It's about Ranger. I went to see Lula and Connie today and told them about the problem with him. How he only seems to want to get rid of me. I don't want to be gotten rid of. I want to stay. I want to show him that I can do something like this."

"Steph, if he finds out about this-"

"That's the other half of it. I was hoping that if he found out about it, he would pay attention to me. I want to catch his attention, I want to let him know that I'm interested in him, that I always have been."

"You were engaged to the cop for four months, and you want a big thing to prove to Ranger that you still want him, and this is what you chose? Frederick Menlo?" Lester spoke for the first time in a few moments.

"The thing is, that when I took the ring, I stopped bounty hunting. I gave up a huge part of my life for Morelli. I became someone I wasn't. I'm worried that Ranger might not want to be around me because he's worried that I'm someone else. Even still, he might think that I'm the same person that I let myself become, and I'm not. Not anymore. I'm the same old me, I just need to prove it to him. Bounty hunting was something that put us together in the first place, it was the one thing that we always had in common, the one thing that really bound us together. So, when I gave it up, not only was I giving up my career and job, I was giving up the part of me that he knew. If I do this, he'll realize that I'm the same person that I always have been."

"Why can't you just blow up the car he just gave you? The Turbo?" Lester asked.

"He didn't give it to me. He just leant it to me."

"Okay, why don't you just blow up the car he leant you?"

"I can't do it on demand! Plus, anyone can blow up a car."

Tank and Lester burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Bombshell, not anyone can blow up a car. Believe me, I've tried." Lester fell off his seat.

"You've tried to blow up a car?"

"Yeah, but I don't do it half as well as you."

"Ass."

"Okay, seriously though, you're sure about this? This is the only way you can prove yourself to him?" Tank asked, leaning foreword.

"Yes."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Tank and Lester looked deep in thought.

"You're aware, if Ranger finds out, it could mean all of our jobs."

"If anything happens, I'll take all the blame. I will do my best to make sure that you don't get in any trouble whatsoever." I assured him.

"Ranger would kill us if anything happened to you."

My heart dropped slightly. I could feel the disappointment rushing through me. I knew the next words that were going to come out of Tank's mouth. He was going to tell me to just give the file to Ranger and to blow up a car, to find another way to prove myself to Ranger. He was going to tell me that he and Lester wouldn't help, it was too much of a risk for all of us.

"That's why we're going to help you every step of the way."

Happiness spread through my veins, his sentence reassuring my previously wrong assumption. I couldn't hide the smile that spread over my face.

"Thank you!" I jumped from my seat and hugged both of them.

"Okay, calm down. Now we need to lay out a plan." Tank took the manila folder and spread out all the papers inside on the table.

For two hours, we talked about what Menlo had done, where he had been seen, where he was likely to be.

There was no doubt in our minds that he was a professional when it came to hiding from people, especially those of authority. He was very distinguishable, though. His hair long with several tattoos on his chiseled arms.

We were able to find some family members, including his sister and brother, both of whom lived within an hour away from Trenton.

"We'll visit them first. We're going to have to go under disguise, we want to be as careful as possible. If he finds out who we are, then we're in trouble."

We finished talking for the night, then Lester and Tank went to their own homes, and I took a shower and ate a lonely dinner. I returned to the bedroom, not ready to go to sleep just yet. I picked my cell phone up off of the table and opened it.

Once again, only one missed call and one voicemail to listen to.

"_Stephanie Plum, this is your mother. Don't you dare ignore my messages. You can't just ignore my calls after leaving poor Joseph at the alter like that. No note, no call, no nothing. All you did was leave the engagement ring behind. Now, poor Joseph is broken hearted and no one knows where you are. I'll tell you one thing, Stephanie, you'd better get out of where ever you are, go home to Joseph, and marry him while you still have your chance. Why can't you be like your sister? She got married and had children, even if it didn't last, she moved on and met someone new. You got married, but couldn't keep him satisfied, so he had to cheat on you. Now, you have Joseph, and you're screwed it up again. You had better call me back when you get this, Stephanie, or so help me…"_

Anger raged through me. I was so angry, I felt like I could have taken even Ranger down. I could have gone and beat up and put away Menlo at that moment. I growled in rage at the phone, wanting to throw it against the wall, but not wanting to harm the walls in my apartment. I went out into the hallway with all the doors to the other apartments in the building and threw my temper tantrum, the thought of other people seeing not even occurring to me.

I scream for a minute, stomping on the floor. Tears welled in my eyes and blurred my vision as I broke my flip phone in half in rage and threw the two pieces at the wall. It was even harder for me to see, but I stomped on the phone with all of my weight and picked up the broken fragments again to throw at the wall.

I continued that until I was crying more instead of trying to fight. Even through my sobs and blurry eyes, I could see and hear that people were surrounding me. I began to get dizzy, then everything went completely dark.


	4. Shocks and Nerves

I want to thank all of the beautiful people who have favorited this story and reviewed!

Seriously, you're all wonderful. I want to steal Rangeman cars and give them to you!

Here's chapter four, enjoy! I'm working on chapter five as we speak.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but if anyone sees Ranger on eBay, TELL ME.

~kj

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I heard movement and talking around me before I dared to open my eyes. I felt…comfortable. Which isn't a normal thing for me to feel when I wake up and don't know where I am.

Wanting to know what was going on, where I was, and what had happened, I kept my eyes closed and my breathing even.

I remembered working, and Frederick Menlo. I remembered Tank and Lester coming to my apartment and them agreeing to help me with Menlo. I remember them leaving, and checking my cell phone…and my mother's message.

The terrible, heart breaking message she left, reminding me that nothing I did was ever good enough for her or the Burg. That she had standards, of which my sister Valerie had met, and I had quite obviously not.

So that was what happened, but where was I?

"What happened?" A smooth voice asked, sending electric shock waves through my body.

"She seems to have had a fit. The surveillance video showed her coming out of her room looking peeved. She preceded to start crying and break her phone into a hundred pieces. It seems that she wore herself out and fainted." A voice I recognized, but couldn't quite put a face to replied.

"Do you know why?" Ranger asked.

"Luckily, she didn't destroy the SIM card in the phone, so we put it in one of the Rangeman cell phones. There was a terrible message from her mother, and we assume that must be why."

"Can I hear the message?"

"The phone with her card is in the kitchen. Come on, I'll show you."

As soon as I was sure they were both gone, I sat up. I was honestly surprised that Ranger hadn't called me on being conscious, he's always able to tell.

I was in my Rangeman apartment, in the bed. I stood and got a slight head rush from getting up too quickly. I ignored it and it passed as I walked to the kitchen.

"Holy Merry Men." I said lightly. In my kitchen were several Rangeman employees, several of which I recognized, and few of which I did not.

All the heads in the apartment turned to me, leaning against the doorway. Ranger was staring into me with his chocolate brown eyes with a phone next to his ear. He took a deep breath, closed the phone, and slammed it onto my marble counter top. The phone was flattened beneath his hand, destroyed.

There were several Merry men surrounding the kitchen table. Upon which, was my Frederick Menlo file. It was luckily closed, but when I looked back up, Ranger was following my glaze to the folder.

He took a step, and I practically ran towards the table to try to keep Ranger from seeing it. I had to push past several men larger than I was, so Ranger beat me to the table.

I held my breath and dug my nails into my palm while he looked through the papers in the file. Lester, Tank, and I exchanged nervous glances while we waited for him to do or say anything.

"Everyone out." Ranger said loudly. All of the Merry Men preceded to file out of my apartment, and I decided to play it safe and follow them. He did say _everyone, _right?

"Babe." I heard him say. I turned back around and went back into the apartment, sighing.

I really didn't want to get yelled at for Menlo.

Ranger leaned against the counter for a moment and I heard someone close the apartment door. I imagined that all the Merry men were in the hallway with their ears pressed up against the door.

"Are you okay?" He asked me.

"Wait, what?" I was so surprised that he wasn't yelling or scolding me.

"Are you okay?"

"Um…yeah. I guess I'm okay. I'm still kind of…heartbroken, I guess. Over what my mother said."

"I'm sorry about that."

_Whoa. _Batman said _sorry?_

"It's okay."

"What are you doing with the Menlo file? Connie wouldn't have given this guy to you."

My mind started going a million miles a minute. What could I possibly say to him? No matter what I said, wasn't he just going to take it away and take care of it himself?

"After four months of not bounty hunting, I need a big job to put a spark back into my career?" I asked more than stated.

"Babe."

"I want the money?"

"Babe."

"Don't _Babe _me, Batman. I want to prove something to myself."

"What are you trying to prove?"

"That I can do it! That I'm just as good as anyone else. That I can live up to my own standards."

"Can I help you?"

_Whoa. _Definitely not the response I was expecting. I was, in fact, so surprised, that I was taken aback.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Can I help you, with Menlo?" He closed the file and put it back down on the table. "It's one thing for you to be out there, battling Mooner. If you're going to take on a big case, I want to help. So if you're risking your neck, I know that I'm doing everything I can to protect you."

"Yeah." I practically squeaked. "Please, help me."

If Ranger wasn't going to take the file away from me, I didn't want to push my luck. If all he wanted was to help, I would let him.

He walked towards the door, taking me in his arms and kissing my forehead on his way. "Come to my office tomorrow morning." He told me, then disappeared like smoke out the door. I was watching him go, and I didn't even hear the door close.

"Batman." I breathed out.

Looking at the clock, I saw it that it was eleven at night. Deciding that it was time for bed, I put my pajamas on, locked my door, and went to sleep.

I awoke to the land line phone on my nightstand ringing. I reached over blindly, trying to find the receiver without opening my eyes.

"Hello?" I growled into the phone. I didn't enjoy being woken up.

"The cop is on hold for you, Bombshell. Do you want to take the call?" I could tell that it was Lester over the phone. I looked over at the alarm clock, which read 12:31pm.

_Shit. _I hadn't talked to Morelli since I had, not too kindly, left him at the alter. I could ignore his call, but I knew that he didn't deserve that. If he wanted to talk to me, I owed him that.

"Yeah, I'll take the call." I put my other hand on my forehead, hoping I wouldn't stress myself out to the point that I got a headache.

A heard a click.

"Hello? Stephanie?"

"Hi Joe." I said lightly.

"Jeez, did this wake you up? I'm sorry. I tried calling your cell phone last night, but it kept going to voicemail, and I really wanted to talk to you. I had a feeling that you would be there."

"Joe, I'm-"

"Cupcake, I don't want to do this over the phone. Do you want to meet somewhere for lunch? Pino's?"

"You know I can't resist an offer to Pino's." I groaned.

"Meet me there at two. I just want to talk."

"Okay. I'll be there. You're paying." I told him, hanging up before he could object.

_Ha!_

I rolled out of bed and got dressed and took care of the necessities. I dropped a few grapes in Rex's cage while looking for my keys, which were on the kitchen table. I grabbed my keys as I walked out the door and took the elevator to the control room.

I went straight to Ranger's office, where he was focusing on the laptop on his desk, his chin in his hand, his index finger tapping against his lips. He looked like he was deep in thought; he looked hot as hell.

"Hi." I said lightly as I sat in one of the seats in front of his desk.

"Babe." He acknowledged me, but kept his attention on the laptop for several minutes.

Eventually, he finished whatever he was doing, closed the laptop, and focused on me. "We're going to have to do a lot of surveillance."

"Okay," I nodded.

"What did Morelli want?"

"To ask me to meet him at Pino's at two."

"Babe."

"What? I stood him up at the alter, I owe him."

"So you're going to get back together with him, and start the cycle over?"

"I'm not going to get back together with him."

"What makes you so sure?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"God, Ranger, you're so freaking dense!" I snapped at him.

"Babe." He was amused.

"Batman." I mimicked him, fully aware that I was being completely immature.

"There's a bar north of here, in a town where we suspect that Menlo might be hiding out. We'll do surveillance there tomorrow night, check the place out."

"Fine." I mumbled, leaning back in the chair, crossing my arms.

"So, got your eye on someone else?" He leaned foreword, amused. I could tell, under the amusement, that he was also slightly curious. At least he wasn't wearing his blank face.

At that moment, Lester walked through the door, making us both turn our attention to him.

"Yeah, Ranger, I do." I stood quickly and before Lester had a chance to leave or say anything, I pushed him against the wall and kissed him forcefully. I pulled away quickly and turned back towards Ranger.

"You don't mind if I take the Turbo, again, do you? No? Great, thanks."

Lester had been too shocked to kiss me back, or even close his eyes. The only way I had been able to push him or move him at all was because I had completely caught him off guard. Ranger was probably too shocked to move or say anything for the few moments to come.

I walked out of the office, swinging my hips at the two stunned men. There were a couple whistles as I got into the elevator and went down to the gym, needing to burn off some steam.

I went to my locker and changed into workout clothes, which I had left in there from the times that Ranger had sent me out of the control room. I went into the gym and punched a punching bag until I was sweaty and exhausted.

Feeling better, I took a quick shower and changed back into my clothes. It was almost two, so I had to go straight to meet Joe.

I went down to the garage and took the Turbo to Pino's, arriving just before two. I recognized Morelli's unmarked police vehicle in the parking lot. I parked and walked up to the doors. I took a deep, nervous breath and swung the door open and walked into the restaurant.


	5. Electric Kiss

Guys, you are AMAZING. Thank you for all the reviews and favorites. It means the world to me!

Because you are all so sweet, I finished this tonight for you. Enjoy :D

Chapter six will be out tomorrow, seven will probably shortly follow.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm not making any money. I want Ranger all for myself...I mean...what?

~kj

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pino's was crowded for the lunch hour. I stood at the door until I saw Joe waving at me from a table in the back. I smiled and started walking towards him. I saw that he had already ordered for the both of us and started eating.

The restaurant had been noisy with familiar people chatting over lunch, but half of the room went silent as they saw me headed towards Joe's table. That added to my nervous state and embarrassment as I sat down in front of Joe. On my plate was a meatball sub. _Yum. _

"Hi Joe." I greeted him. He was halfway done with his sub, and still shoving it in his mouth.

"Sorry," he said, putting the sub down for a moment. "I only have an hour, and I thought we would do a lot of talking, so I wanted to eat quickly."

"Oh, okay." Knowing I had as long as I wanted, I decided to take my time.

Joe looked…well. His dark, curly hair was too long, as usual, even though I was positive he had gotten it trimmed last week, before the wedding. How long ago it seemed! His face was clean shaven, and he was in his normal work attire. His eyes were soft and kind, his expressions calm and relaxed.

I began to eat, slowly at first, but found myself hungrier than I had expected. As he finished eating, I was only halfway done with my sub. He started talking as I continued eating.

"I want you to know that I'm not angry, I hope this won't turn into an argument with yelling. I've had my time to mourn, I've had my time to be sad, I'm ready to get over it. In order for me to get over it, I have to understand what happened. I want us to be friends, but I just need to know what happened."

"I felt the need to finally…live up to everyone's standards, you know? I was so sick of not being what everyone wanted. You wanted a housewife who would mother your children, my mother wanted me to be the Burg. I was so sick of arguments, of yelling, of disappointment. So I said yes. I gave up my job and became what everyone wanted. You were happy; my mother was happy; I was miserable. I was so unhappy that after a month or two, I became…numb, unfeeling. I didn't feel anything, I was just _there. _I convinced myself that it was okay, that I would be fine. I tried to convince myself that it was the right thing to do, that I would be happy, but it didn't work. I suppressed all of the doubt that I had until the wedding day. I was looking in the mirror, and I just snapped. I'm so sorry, but I just knew that if I did it, it would be a mistake. I didn't want another divorce, another marriage to go sour. I just wanted to be happy, and I knew I couldn't be happy when I had given everything up and became someone I wasn't. So I made a call-"

"Lets be completely honest," he interrupted gently, "You called Ranger."

"Okay. I called Ranger. He picked me up and had some of the guys get my stuff from your house. He gave me a job and an apartment."

"He gave you an apartment?"

"In the Rangeman building."

"You're not staying with him?"

"No, I'm not staying with him. I'm not sleeping with him, I'm not anything with him."

"I thought you left me for him."

"Joe, you're a fabulous guy. You're attractive and amazing, just not for me. I do have feelings for Ranger, but…he doesn't want me."

"You can't possibly believe that."

"Excuse me?"

"Cupcake, you've got to be kidding me. He's wanted you for years, even while we were engaged. You can't possibly think that he doesn't want you now."

"But he hasn't-"

"It's only been a couple days. Give it time, but Cupcake, he wants you. There's no doubt about it. I've made peace with the fact that you two want each other and are probably going to get together at some point. I'm okay, I promise. Give it time, I'm sure that he's going to make a move. If he doesn't, then you make the move. If he's worth it, do something about it. If he's not, then you're wasting your time."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know _what _to say.

"I had a feeling it wasn't going to work, between you and I. I noticed the change in you, I saw it happening. It was as if the life was being drained from you slowly. I knew that if you went through with it, you would have looked emotionless at the wedding, and I would have had to break it off myself. I was almost relieved when they told me that you were gone. I just want you to be happy, and if it means that it's not with me, so be it. But Cupcake, I want you to be happy, I really mean that. You and I both know what that entails."

He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood, looking at his watch. "I have to get back to work. If you ever need anything, my door is always open."

I stood to hug him goodbye. "Thanks for being so…okay about this, Joe. It really means a lot to me."

"Anytime, Cupcake."

We hugged in a friendly manner and separated. As Joe turned to leave, he stopped. "Cupcake, don't wait too long to tell him, okay?"

"Okay, I won't."

Joe walked out the door, and came back in a moment later and quickly walked towards me, where I had sat again and continued eating the sub.

"He gave you the Turbo?"

"Well, I think it's more of a loan."

"Yeah, he loves you." He nudged my shoulder playfully, winked, then left the restaurant again. I finished eating within a matter of minutes and left. I climbed into the Turbo, surprised to find a small red package on the passenger seat.

I opened it, not even thinking about whether it could be a bomb. Which was a bad idea, knowing my previous history of sending cars to heaven.

Inside was a Rangeman cell phone and a little note.

_Babe._

Of course.

I dialed speed dial number one.

"Yo." Ranger answered.

"Really? You came to Pino's, broke into your car, put the cell phone in, and left?"

"I didn't break in. It's my car."

"Fine, you opened your car and put the cell phone in."

"I wanted to see how long it would take you to get the phone."

"Why didn't you just come in and have a sub with us, too?" I said sarcastically.

"Babe."

"Batman."

"I don't think your boyfriend would have appreciated."

"God, Ranger. He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh well, how is Lester?" He was teasing, we both knew it, but he also knew that he was pushing me.

"Ranger, you're an ass." I hung up and drove angrily to the Rangeman building. I parked the Turbo, and took the elevator to the control room. I walked directly into Ranger's office. Inside, he was focused on the laptop again. I slammed the top down, forcing him to look up at me.

"Babe."

"I don't want it." I slammed the cell phone on his desk. "I don't want it." I slammed the Turbo keys on his desk. "I don't want it." I slammed the key to my apartment on his desk.

He looked at me seriously. I was close to tears, not from sadness, but from frustration and anger.

"What's wrong?" He asked, kindly. His face was relaxed, his eyes soft, similar to Joe's expression. He was being caring and compassionate when I needed it most.

"I don't know." I calmed down slightly, slumping down in the seat. "I'm just…everything. Joe was so understanding, you know? He forgave me, but I don't forgive me. I'm sad about my mother and never being what she wanted. I'm so sick of disappointing people."

"You never disappoint me."

"That's because I make you laugh with everything that happens to me. Wait a week, I'm sure your Turbo will be in car heaven."

"I thought you didn't want it."

"Then I guess it won't be."

"Take the car." He pushed the keys across the desk at me.

I shook my head. "I can't, Ranger. I just can't. You always say that you bleed money to take care of me, and I know that that car is expensive."

"Just let me take care of you."

"Why? Why do you want to? All I've done the past few days is get emotional and throw fits and yell at you."

"And plan to go after Menlo without me."

"I asked Tank and Lester for help."

"But you didn't ask me."

"I thought you would get mad that I didn't give you the file. I thought that you would take it away from me." I admitted.

"Why would I take it away from you?" He was actually confused.

"Because you didn't want me to go after Menlo, and rightfully, the file was yours, I had merely intercepted it."

"I'm not going to stop you from doing what you want to do. I just want to help you do it if it's something dangerous as this is. Tank and Lester are good, but you could have asked me. I don't care that you took the file, I'm impressed that you did the search on him. I just want to help."

"What's the difference between you helping me, and them helping me?"

"I have to know that you're safe. I have to make sure of it myself, because I can only trust myself when it comes to protecting you."

"I thought you trusted Tank with your life."

"Babe, I trust him with my life, not yours. Yours is much more important to me."

When my lip started to quiver, he slowly stood and walked around the desk. He gently pulled me out of my chair and held me against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him as his arms wrapped around my waist.

This man in my arms meant the world to me, yet I couldn't find a way to tell him. He'd revealed to me that I had never disappointed him, that he wanted to take care of me, and that my life meant more to him than his own, and he only trusted himself to protect me.

A few tears fell from my eyes as I pulled back slightly to look up at him. He was looking gently back down at me, and slowly, ever so slowly, his face moved towards mine and my face moved towards his until our lips pressed together.

Our lips fit perfectly together; our bodies fit perfectly together. We were a perfect match. The moment our lips touched, electric waves washed over my body and my toes curled and my eyes closed and my heart sped up.

It was such a sweet kiss for a tender moment.

"Ranger, I-"

"I know, babe."


	6. Missing Milkshake

So, I wake up this morning and see that I have 8 new reviews!

How many more times can I say it? You guys are WONDERFUL.

That made my morning so much, that I'm going to post as many chapters today as I have time for.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I just wish I did. But, I'm still looking for Ranger on eBay.

~kj

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ranger, I'm bored."

Ranger and I had been on surveillance of a bar for two hours, watching for Frederick Menlo.

"Babe."

We were sitting in his Ford Ranger, quite ironically. It was eleven in the evening, Ranger was positive that Menlo was going to show up. Ranger simply wanted for us to get an idea of how he was acting while in the bar, whether he was a fighter. Ranger also wanted to follow him home, given that he showed up, and find out where he lived.

"I'm hungry."

"Babe."

"I want a tasty cake."

"Babe, concentrate."

"We've been sitting here for two hours, and you wouldn't let me bring any food."

"No eating in the truck, I told you that."

"I want a milkshake."

"_Babe._"

"Batman."

"When we're done, you can have a milkshake."

"What about a tasty cake?"

"No."

"Why?"

"You'll make a mess in the truck."

"Jeez, if you love this truck so much, why don't you marry it?"

"Real mature, babe."

"Ranger, really. It's just a truck."

"You were the one who wanted this guy in the first place."

"What's your point?"

"I would think that you'd be interested in this stake out."

"Ranger, no one, except you, is interested in stake outs. Ever." I twisted a few times in my seat, playing with the adjustments, trying to get more comfortable. With any luck, I could fall asleep until the night was over.

Ranger and I hadn't talked about the kiss we shared, or about the tender moment and conversation. We were both waiting for the right moment, which hadn't shown itself just yet. We both had an idea of what we were and what we meant to each other, but it was a matter of actually saying the words.

"Babe." Ranger turned his attention to a large man walking into the bar. "That's him."

"Really? Finally. Can we go now?"

"No."

"Can we go get a drink?"

"No."

"Why?"

"He'll see us, and recognize us later on. Or, he'll leave suddenly and we won't have time to get to the truck to follow him."

"I'm so bored." I groaned.

"I'm never taking you on a stake out again."

"Liar. I'm a better partner than Tank."

"Babe."

"I'm bored. Mr. No Communication, cut it out and think of something to talk about."

"Babe."

"Oh no, you dragged me on this stake out. You wouldn't let me bring food, and you won't let me have sugar until afterwards. You have to entertain me somehow."

Ranger reached over and laced his fingers with mine over the consol. My breath caught as his skin touched mine.

What a good way to shut me up.

We sat in silence, his normal quite-car-zone washing over the truck. Of course, the silence gave me a chance to think

What if Ranger didn't want a relationship with me? He said it before, that his life doesn't lend itself to relationships. He always said that he loved me in his own way, a way that called for condoms, not a ring. It was foolish of me to think that he might have changed his mind, his lifestyle hadn't changed.

What have I been thinking? I could tell him that I loved him, but what good would it do? He'd probably give me all the Ranger-induced orgasms I wanted, but he'd never be able to give me the relationship I wanted.

"Babe." Ranger pulled my thoughts out of my head.

_Shit! ESP!_

"What?" I asked, trying to play it cool.

"I can smell the smoke. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." I sighed, deeply disappointed. I had let my hopes up. I had really thought for a little while that we would actually have a relationship, but I hadn't been thinking.

"You've looked happy the past couple of days, now you look like you talked yourself out of it."

"It's nothing." I pulled my hand out of his and we sat in silence for a long time.

We watched as, hours later, Menlo walked out of the bar alone. I slunk down in the seat slightly, even though the windows were tinted black, and there was no way he could see me, even if he was looking our way.

He got into a beat up silver Jeep Wrangler and pulled out into the busy street. We carefully followed, being sure not to stay too close behind him. Ranger put the distance of a couple cars between us and Menlo as we followed him.

It wasn't long before Menlo pulled into the driveway of a yellow house in a run-down looking neighborhood. The house looked like it was falling apart, and though I couldn't tell in the night, it probably needed a paintjob, too.

"Seventeen." Ranger said lightly, noting the house address as we drove straight past the house. He picked up his cell phone and dialed his number two speed dial. "Tank, give me listings for 17 Oak Street."

A few minutes later, he hung up with Tank and we sat in even more silence as he drove back to the Rangeman building. Ranger parked next to the Turbo and we took the elevator to my floor. Ranger followed me out and to my door when the elevator door opened.

"Babe." He said lightly, leaning against the wall. "My life doesn't lend itself to relationships, you know that. Nothing has changed."

"You know what, Ranger? Right now, we're living the same life. We're chasing after the same guy, we're working, going on stake outs. We're living the same life, and mine lends itself to relationships. It isn't your life, it's you, and I'm not worth your time."

I unlocked my door and slammed it shut behind me. I locked the door and leaned against it, letting myself fall so I was sitting on the ground with my arms around my legs and my forehead resting against my knees, sobbing.

The next morning, I awoke, rather uncomfortably, on curled up on the floor in front of the door. Still half asleep, I walked into the bathroom, noting the pile of black cloth on the bed, but too lazy to investigate any further. I took a shower and took care of the necessities.

Feeling more awake, I returned to the bedroom wrapped in a large towel. I looked through the pile of clothes on the bed. All black, all with Rangeman logo's stitched in. There were a few V-neck t-shirts, one long sleeve. A few pairs of cargo pants and one pair of cargo-Capri's. There was one pull-over sweatshirt with a hood and a pocket in the front. I put underwear and a bra on under one of the new Rangeman t-shirts and the cargo Capri's. I put the sweatshirt on with a pair of black sneakers.

I felt cold, emotionless, _heartbroken. _

Which made me feel determined. I wanted to prove to Ranger that I could be ever bit as good as bounty hunting as he was. I wanted to prove that I was worth his time and his heart.

I grabbed my keys and cell phone as I left my apartment. I took the elevator down to the garage and climbed into the Turbo.

Determined and on a mission, I drove the hour back to Menlo's house. Seventeen Oak Street. I pulled up to the front of the house, not wanting to pull into the driveway. I got out and put the keys in my front pocket as I walked up to the front door. I rang the doorbell and a few moments later, Frederick Menlo himself opened the door.

He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a muscle shirt. He was huge, there was no doubt about it. Not as huge as Ranger or Tank, but huge compared to me. He was scary, his eyes dark and hard, his expression tight.

"What do you want?" He asked in a deep, rough voice.

"Frederick Menlo?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I'm from Vincent Plum's Bond Office, you missed your court date. If you'll come with me, you can reschedule and then be on your way." I was nervous, no doubt about that.

"Oh, that pesky court date, I completely forgot. Sure, I'll come." He closed his door and walked behind me and climbed into the passenger seat of the Turbo.

_That wasn't too hard._

We got in and I buckled up. I turned the car around and drove back towards Trenton. I had been driving for no longer than half an hour when Menlo grabbed the steering wheel, causing me to screech the car to a halt. Menlo opened his door, and I expected him to get out and run, but instead he latched onto my arm, unbuckled my seatbelt and pressed the button for the trunk to open.

_Shit!_

He forcefully pulled me out of the Turbo. I was kicked and screaming and trying to break his hold on me, but it was no use. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, but he hit it out of my hand onto the ground while he pulled me towards the back of the car. Despite my fighting, he effortlessly shoved me into the truck and closed the lid.

A moment later, I felt the car moving on the road again.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

I tried kicking the trunk as hard as I could, but there was so little room that it was next to impossible. I tried to find the inside emergency release for the trunk door that every card had, but it was too dark for me to see. I couldn't feel it anywhere near the door or the sides of the trunk.

After awhile, I felt the car stop. After a moment, it didn't even feel like the car was on ground anymore, it was like it was floating.

Then, I felt wetness seeping into the trunk.

_Shit!_


	7. Car Heaven

Well, you guys are wonderful, amazing, every other word the in the book.

I love all the reviews, really, they're amazing, thank you so much.

I already have chapter eight written, to be posted immediately.

Have a wonderful night, everyone :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing, sadly. Except this computer.

~kj

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I screamed at the water entering the trunk.

I was trapped in a trunk, probably in a large body of water, unable to get out, with no means of communication.

_Fabulous._

I fiercely kicked at the trunk again, not letting the fact that I was extremely uncomfortable get in the way. That didn't help at all. I reached all over the trunk again, hoping to find the emergency release, but all I felt was the smooth interior of the Turbo, nothing sticking out that would help me.

As the car seemed to sink lower, I felt the pressure of the water. The water was rising very slowly in the trunk, giving me more time than I thought I would have had.

I moved with my back to the door of the trunk and started to kick the backseat. Sometimes in cars, the backseat would fold down to allow more room in the trunk.

No, not in this car, of course.

The water was freezing as it rose near my neck. I only had moments left, and nothing left to do.

I kicked the door of the truck again with all my might. I wasn't going to give up until I had no more air left.

I couldn't die, not here, not now. It couldn't possibly be my time. I had said horrible things to Ranger last night. I couldn't die without telling him that I was sorry. He had to know that before I died. He had to know that I loved him.

_I'm such an idiot._

The water level was inches from the top of the trunk. I angled my head so I could inhale. I breathed deeply and slowly, to slow my pulse slightly. The air in my lungs would last longer that way.

Finally, the water level rose to the top of the trunk, so there was no more air for me.

_So this is the end._

I gave up all hope. Apparently, it was my time. Frederick Menlo was the death of me. If I hadn't acted on an impulse, this never would have happened. I could be in a warm building, doing safe searches on a computer in a building with the highest security in all of Trenton, probably all of New Jersey. Instead, I didn't have an idea where I was, and neither did anyone else. I was going to drown in the trunk of a Turbo 911...

I started to get dizzy and was about to release the remaining air in my lungs when the door of the trunk suddenly opened. I couldn't see anything, but I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me up to the surface.

When my head came above water, I gasped, coughing water out of my mouth. I took a few gasped breaths before my breathing was able to return to normal.

The air seemed colder than the water. I looked around for my savior, to see Ranger. He pulled me to a wooden dock where several Rangeman employees were, with blankets and more.

Ranger climbed onto the dock and pulled me up. Immediately, I was pulled aside and someone began to cut my clothes from my body.

I couldn't hear anything. People were talking, but I couldn't hear them. I couldn't see anything except Ranger. I knew the other people were there, I knew what was happening, but the only thing I could see or think about was Ranger.

The wet clothes were removed from my body to avoid hypothermia. I was put in a warm robe and wrapped in a blanket. A wool hat was placed on my head so my wet hair would be covered from the cold, early morning air.

I pulled away from everyone helping me and stood in front of Ranger. He had changed into a pair of dry cargo pants and a Rangeman sweatshirt.

"Babe." He said lightly, and I started sobbing. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I wrapped my arms around his waist. Since I was holding the blanket, it wrapped around both of us now that I was holding him. I buried my face into his chest and cried for a few long moments.

When I stopped, I regained control of my breathing. I pulled back slightly and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. "About last night, I'm sorry. I love you. I don't want to die without you knowing that I love you."

"Babe." Then he leaned down and kissed me gently. It was soft, and quick, but it still sent electricity through me and made my toes curl. He pulled back first, wrapping an arm around me as he looked out to where his Turbo 911 had drowned.

"Another car gone to car heaven." He commented.

"I didn't blow it up this time!"

He laughed. "Come on."

Ranger lead me to the truck, where we climbed into the back. He sat at the window seat behind the driver and I sat in the middle. Lester climbed into the passenger seat and Tank got into the driver's seat and started to back off of the dock and back onto the road. Ranger kept his arm around me, and I leaned into him as we drove.

"How did you know where I was?" I asked him finally.

"Well, bombshell," Lester turned around. I noticed a large black ring around his left eye. "There's this little thing called GPS. Luckily, we saw that you were driving towards Menlo's house, so half of Rangeman got together and followed."

"Lester, what happened to your eye?" I interrupted.

"Boxing in the ring in the gym, nothing to worry about." He smiled at me, but glanced at Ranger.

"Luckily, we were one step behind you," Tank continued the story. "We drove up in time to see Menlo walking away from the dock. We arrested him, and one team is bringing him back to the police station as we speak. We hadn't realized that he had pushed the car into the lake until we got a call from control, saying that the car had been in the middle of the lake for a few minutes. Ranger jumped in and got you, and that's that."

"That's our side of the story, but what's yours, Steph?" Ranger asked me.

"I woke up and I was angry and hurt. I wanted to prove to you that I could be as good as you were. I drove to Menlo's house and asked him to go with me to reschedule his court date, and he agreed. So we got in the car and started driving. About half an hour later, he grabbed the steering wheel and I slammed on the breaks. He pulled me out of the car and I tried to pull my phone out, but he knocked it out of my hand. He stuffed me into the trunk and drove to the dock and pushed the car into the lake, I guess. I realized it almost right away. I tried kicking the door of the trunk open, but I couldn't. I tried to kick the backseat down, because sometimes those seats go down in cars, to provide more room or something, but they didn't go down. I tried searching several times for the emergency release on the inside of the trunk that opens it, but I couldn't find it. So I breathed until the trunk filled with water, then the trunk opened and Ranger pulled me out."

"Babe." Ranger looked at me with an indescribable expression.

"Wait, you arrested Menlo?" I asked.

"Yes, Bombshell." Lester laughed.

We remained silent for the few remaining moments it took us to arrive back at Rangeman. When we arrived, Ranger pulled us out of the truck and into the elevator. Tank and Lester climbed in, as well, but they got off when Ranger shot them a look.

Ranger pressed the button for the top floor, but I pressed the button for my floor. The elevator stopped first at my floor, and I moved to get off, but Ranger wouldn't let me.

"Babe, please? We need to talk."

_Damn. He said please._

"Okay." I sighed, remaining in place. The elevator rose to the top level and Ranger unlocked his door. We stepped into the apartment, and I was greeted by the same relaxing, earthy aroma that never changed.

"Take a shower. I'll have Ella bring some clothes and food up." He said lightly, sitting in the living room.

"Okay." I went through his bedroom into the bathroom. I left the blanket in his room, but left the robe on until I got into the bathroom. I took off the robe and the wool hat and looked in the mirror.

I almost screamed. My hair was completely flat until it reached my ears, where my hair had dried into their normal crazy and wild curls. What a disaster.

I took a long shower, enjoying the hot water and Ranger's bulgari. When I got out, I toweled dried my body and hair and wrapped the towel around me and left the bathroom. In the bedroom on the bed was a small pile of black clothes, which I assumed were for me. The bedroom door was closed, so I changed into the underwear and bra, the Rangeman short sleeve shirt and the pair of black sweatpants which were just my size. I put the towel on a hanger in the bathroom and went out into the kitchen, where Ranger was uncovering two plates of what looked like chicken and vegetables.

We ate in silence and moved to the living room when we were done. I sat cross legged on the couch, looking expectantly at Ranger, and he sat at the other end of the couch, not looking at me.

As I waited, my gaze drifted around the room. I saw that it wasn't even noon yet, but it seemed like it should be late in the evening.

"You were right." Ranger finally said. "We're living the same life at the moment, it isn't my lifestyle, it's me. There's a reason for that. Before I found out that you agreed to marry Morelli, I had been planning to take you to the Bat cave. I wanted to tell you how I felt about you, but then Tank told me that you were engaged to Joe." He paused.

Tank had already told me this story.

"I died inside. It killed me. I was so hurt, I never wanted to be in another relationship again, I never wanted to be that hurt again. You were right, it isn't my life, it's me. But I've found that it's been hurting me more to not be with you than it ever hurt before."

I bit my lip, trying to contain my happiness.

"Stephanie, I can't give you a white picket fence. I can't promise you forever, I don't know how long that is for me. To be fair, you don't know how long that is for you, either. With our lifestyles, all we can do is promise each other to try it one day at a time."

He moved forward and took my hands in his. "I said that the Bat cave was forever, but it can be as long as we can promise each other, as long as it works, as long as you want. What do you say?"

"Yes." I whispered lightly.

Ranger leaned foreword and kissed me gently, again. He pulled back first and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me. I unfolded it, to see that it was a check for fifty-thousand dollars.

"Ranger, I can't take this."

"He was your skip."

"I didn't do anything to help get him."

"You really did. We wouldn't have caught him without your recklessness."

"I'm not taking this, Ranger. You did all the work. You found the place to stake out, you followed him home, you arrested him. I was just there the whole time."

"Please, Steph, just take it."

"No, that isn't going to work on me. I'm not taking this money."

"Take half."

"Ranger, I-"

"I'm not going to let this go. Take half."

"Fine!" I groaned. "I'll take half. Jeez."

"I'll have half put into your account right away." He told me, standing up. "Stephanie, would you go out to dinner with me tonight?"

"Yes!"

"Great." He smiled.

I stood and reached up and kissed his cheek. "I have to go shopping." I told him, leaving the living room.

"Babe." He caught my attention, and I turned around.

He tossed me a pair of keys. "One is for your apartment, the other is for the Grand Prix."

"Not another car." I groaned.

"That's the beauty of it. It's just a car. It's replaceable. Destroy the car, just keep you safe." He kissed my forehead and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "This is yours. One of the guys found it where Menlo hit it out of your hand."

"Thanks."

I left Ranger's apartment and went down to my own. I grabbed my purse and put the cell phone and keys in it. I left and went down to the garage and stood outside of the elevator, looking at all of the black cars, suddenly realizing that I didn't know what a Grand Prix was.

I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and dialed my number one speed dial.

"Yo."

"Which one is the Grand Prix?" I asked.

I heard Ranger laugh. "Turn to your left."

I turned to the left.

"No, your other left."

"You mean my right?"

"Well, my left."

"What the hell?"

"The garage camera is looking at you. So go to your right."

I turned right. "It's the third one down. It'll say 'Grand Prix' on the back, you'll see it."

"Okay. Great. Bye."

"Bye, Babe."

We hung up and I walked towards the car, finding it easily by the label on the back.

I stood, staring at the car for a few minutes, unable to bring myself to get in it.

I took out my cell phone again and pressed redial.

"Yo."

"You know what? Come down here. I need a tour of this car before I get in it."

I hung up and a few minutes later, Ranger got off the elevator and walked towards me and joined me, staring at the car.

"So what's wrong with the car?" Ranger asked me.

"I want a tour of it. Does the backseat go down? Where's the emergency release latch on the inside? In the dark, would I be able to see it?"

Ranger laughed and pulled out his cell phone.

"Get down here." He said into the phone, then hung up.

A few minutes later, Lester got off of the elevator.

"What's up, Boss?"

"Drive Stephanie around today." Ranger took me in his arms and kissed my forehead and left.

"Where are we going?" Lester asked, walking towards a large black SUV, pulling out a pair of keys.

"Go to the bonds office first."


	8. Bat Cave

Enjoy =)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, maybe in another life...

~kj

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lester pulled up in front of the bonds office a few minutes later. I jumped out of the SUV and strolled inside, where Lula was actually filing, and Connie was sitting at her desk, looking bored as she told Lula exactly what to do.

"Stephanie! You're still alive, thank gosh. You weren't involved with Menlo today, were you? One of Ranger's guys came in with the body receipt" Connie asked, placing her hand over her heart.

"I kind of was, but it's too long a story."

"Girl, lets here it." Lula demanded.

I told them the story about the kiss, the stake out, me yelling at Ranger, going off to get Menlo, the lake, and then the date tonight.

"Jeez, Steph. You've been busy."

"Girl, you got a date with Batman!" Lula was excited. "You know what we should do? Go shopping." Lula grabbed her purse and pulled me out the door.

"Lula! You have to finish the filing!" Connie called after us, groaning.

"You can do it, I don't mind." Lula told Connie as we left the bonds office.

Lula and I climbed into the SUV, Lula insisting on the passenger seat. I told Lester to drive to the mall, and we arrived moments later.

Lula, Lester, and I entered the mall and went into our usual dress shop.

They made me try on dozens of dresses, always telling me to put it back, even if I really liked it.

The last dress that I tried on was black. It was a spaghetti strap. The dress was skin tight until it reached my hips. The material got looser and feathered out slightly, to show that some red material was mixed in, as well.

"That's the one." Lester told me when I came out of the dressing room.

I bought the dress after spinning around in the mirror a few times, making sure myself that it was the dress that I wanted.

We left the mall and dropped Lula off at the bonds office. Lester and I drove back to the Rangeman building, where I went immediately to my apartment to get ready.

I painted my nails and toe nails a deep red to match little red there was in the dress. I showered and shaved my legs. After I got out of the shower, I did what little I could to my hair and applied three coats of mascara for confidence.

The day had really passed by quickly. It had been just after noon when I left Rangeman, and now it was almost seven, and I was just spraying perfume on when Ranger knocked on the door. I quickly brushed my teeth and ran to the door.

I opened the door to see Ranger in a suit, looking completely delicious.

"Hi." I said breathlessly, trying to remember how to breathe, but the way he was looking at me…

"Babe." He grinned, checking me out a few more times.

"Let me just put some shoes on and I'll be ready." I told him. I walked back to my bedroom and got a pair of spike heals from the closet. I slipped them on and went back into the foyer, where Ranger was still standing.

"You look beautiful." He told me, reaching for my hand. He took it and put it in the crook of his elbow as he closed my door. We took the elevator to the garage and he led me to his favorite black Ford Ranger.

He drove for almost forty-five minutes, both of us silent. Our fingers were enlaced on the consol.

We arrived at a restaurant that I had never been to, much less heard of. Eyes were drawn to us as we were lead to a reserved table, with plates of food and a bottle of wine already set up for us.

Ranger held me seat out for me and I sat, looking over the chicken parmesan on my plate. On Ranger's was grilled chicken with vegetables and noodles in some kind of clear sauce.

"Ranger, this place is amazing." I told him, taking the cloth napkin and lying it over my lap.

"When I take time off, I come here often. I've known the owner for years."

"Why only when you take time off?" I asked cutting my chicken carefully.

"It's near the Bat Cave." He winked.

"Are we going to the Bat Cave?" I asked quickly.

"Only if you want to."

"I want to." I assured him.

I took a bite of my chicken parmesan, and moaned.

"This is delicious." I told him.

"It's one of my favorites here, I knew you would like it."

As we ate, we talked about nothing in general, never hitting any awkward silent moments. Any silent moments we hit were all comfortable, neither of us feeling the need to say anything.

"Don't look now," I told Ranger, "But there's a table of women at three o'clock, drooling over you.

Ranger laughed. "I don't even notice that sort of thing anymore."

"How do you not notice it? Don't women follow you everywhere you go?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Well, not that many…"

"Ranger!"

After dinner, we left, not having enough room for dessert. Ranger drove me to his house, protected by a large iron gate and fence around the entire house. He pressed a button on the steering wheel and the gate opened and closed behind us as he pulled inside. There was a long, twisting driveway that led up to the house. When we finally pulled in front of the house, I gasped.

It was huge. It was white with blue shutters and door. Ranger led me up to the door and stopped before he unlocked it.

"Are you sure, Babe? The Bat Cave is forever."

"I'm sure, Batman." I told him.

He smiled and kissed me lightly before unlocking the door. We stepped inside and he closed and locked the door, I heard several clicks of locks before he was done. He flipped on a light switch and I looked around.

The floor was marble, except for the welcome mat that I was standing on. There was a giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were two staircases that were joined at both ends. The last few steps at the top and bottom were where the staircases met, but they separated from there, both touching the wall in the middle, then meeting back together. The chandelier hung in the middle, the space where the staircases separated. There were rooms to the left and right of the entry room. Ranger showed me around, and I saw that the room to the left was the dining room. Through a door in the dinning room was the kitchen. Through a there was the living room, and leaving off back at the room to the right was a library. Ranger brought me upstairs, and showed me a few guest bedrooms, bathrooms, his office for when he stayed here, and ended at the master bedroom.

There was a giant, balcony bed made from mahogany. The room itself was red with gold trim and ceiling. The floor was wood. There was a closet, a bathroom, and an antique desk, and bookcase. There were two windowed doors that led outside onto a balcony, looking out over the woods behind Ranger's house and up at the stars in the dark, nighttime sky.

Ranger went to sit on the balcony and I joined him, slipping my heals off at the doors. Ranger was sitting on one of the chairs on the balcony, and I sat on him with my back leaning against one arm rest and the back of my knees touching the other, so my legs dangled off.

"Babe." Ranger grinned before he leaned down and kissed me.

Electricity rushed through me and my toes curled. Ranger tangled his fingers in my hair and angled my face so he had easier access. His tongue brushed my lower lip, and my lips opened slightly to grant permission. Our tongues danced and caressed gently, heat shooting straight to my core.

Ranger put his arms around me as he stood, never breaking the kiss as he carried me back to the bedroom and closed the door with his foot. He stopped in front of the bed, where he set me down on my feet.

I pulled away from the kiss and ran my hands slowly up Ranger's torso. At his neck, I slowly pulled his silk tie loose and pulled it from under the collar of his shirt, dropping it to the ground. I pushed his jacket off of his shoulders and let it fall to the ground. I unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders as well, letting it join the pile of clothing on the floor.

I ran my hands over his mocha arms and torso, feeling his rippling, harm muscles under my hands.

Ranger stepped out of his shoes and socks as I reached for the buckle of his belt. I unfastened it and looked up at Ranger before I let his pants drop.

"Boxers or briefs?" I asked. As his pants dropped, I saw that he was not wearing either.

He was impressive and beautiful, fully naked, and all mine.

_Yum!_

Ranger came closer to me and found the zipper in the back of my dress. He pulled it down slowly and pulled the straps down my arms gently, letting the dress fall to the floor. I was left in black string bikini panties, which Ranger hooked his thumbs into and pushed down my legs.

Ranger pulled me against him and kissed me passionately, his hands running from my hair, slowly down my neck, shoulder, and arms. He grazed his fingers lightly up my sides, making a shiver run down my spine. Ranger caressed my breasts and let his hands trail down to my stomach and around my hips to the small of my back. He easily lifted me from the ground to the bed, resting my head lightly on the pillows.

Ranger's mouth left mine and trailed down to my ear. He sucked on the sensitive spot below my ear and kissed down my neck to my shoulders and chest.

I breathed heavily as he slowly made his way down to my breasts. He took one hard nipple into his mouth and sucked on it slightly, causing me to moan in response. He did the same to the other, and continued his sweet torture, kissing and nipping down my stomach.

When he moved my legs up the heals of my feet were pressed up against my thigh, and my knees were in the air, I suddenly knew what he was going to do. I gripped the blankets beneath me as Ranger's mouth touched my core. He sucked on precisely _that _spot and then entered me with his tongue.

His fingers massaged me gently, while his tongue swirled in and out of me.

I hit my Ranger induced orgasm, my body shuddered and my back arched as I flew to the highest peak in the world and jumped off. I called out Ranger's name as I came back down, my knees weak, my legs feeling like jello.

When I came back down, my legs were wrapped around Ranger's waist and he was pressing against me, waiting to enter.

_Oh boy, I'm in for a night of fun!_

_

* * *

_

I want to add that if the love scene is a little vague, I'm sorry, it's the best that I could do. I'm not exactly experienced, so I was BSing the whole thing.


	9. Blue Robes

To everyone who has left reviews or favorited: Thank you

I'm sorry everyone that it's been so long, there was a dead in my family, and I've been otherwise occupied.

I'm also sorry that it was so short. I had started this a little while ago, and was just adding to it tonight.

The next one will be better, I promise. I'll really try to get it out within the next week. Again, I'm sorry.

~kj

* * *

The next morning, I awoke with the sun streaming across my back.

I turned to see that the balcony doors were open and the sun was streaming in through the room. Clutching the sheet to my chest, I turned to see that the bed was empty…and cold.

I sat up and reached my arms in the air to stretch out my back. Upon stretching, I felt soreness in several muscles, a feeling I hadn't know in…a long time, to say the least. At the end of the bed, there was a light blue silk robe.

I put it on and stood, feeling my muscle tension even more. I groaned as I walked out towards the balcony, where Ranger was sitting in a chair, reading the newspaper. I slumped into the chair next to Ranger, looking at the forest in the day light, in contrast to the view I saw last night.

Well, what little I saw of the it last night…

"Morning, Babe." Ranger leaned over and kissed me lightly. "How do you feel?"

"Sore." I groaned.

He grinned.

"Don't give me that look." I told him.

He tried to cover it up, but the smile was still in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He chuckled lightly.

"You should be!" I said, jokingly. "I don't think I was this sore after my first time!"

"Morelli isn't me." He winked at me.

"I'm going to take a shower." I stood and walked back towards the bedroom.

"Need any help?"

Conflict.

I could say yes and risk being more sore. I could say no and shower alone and let the warm water warm up my sore muscles and lessen the pain.

But either way, there was hot water involved, right?

"Yes."

Ranger's eyes practically melted as he stood. I noticed for the first time that he was wearing a robe identical to the one I was wearing.

"Did you just have two of these randomly?" I asked him.

"No, I bought them thinking about how they would match your eyes." He kissed the spot between my eyes.

"When?" I asked him as he held my waist and made me walk backwards as he pushed me into the bedroom.

"A long time ago."

"You were thinking about having me here?" I asked, truly touched.

Ranger laughed. "I'm trying to seduce you, and all you want to do is talk."

"I can't help it, the topic caught my interest. So, explain." I curled my fingers in his hair.

"I bought them a year or so ago. I saw them and they were the same color as your eyes. I brought them here, knowing that if you ever came here with me, your eyes would stand out." Ranger skimmed his fingers along the silk covering my sides. "And they do."

A shiver ran down my spine.

I pulled Ranger into the bathroom and I opened the door to the shower stall and turned the water on to warm and untied my robe and let it slid down my arms and onto the floor. I reached to Ranger's robe and untied it and pushed it off his shoulders onto the floor. I opened the shower stall door again and pulled Ranger inside.

An hour later, Ranger and I collapsed on the bed from a combination of exhaustion and too much heat in the shower for too long. We drifted to sleep, still drying off on top of the blankets.

I woke up awhile later to Ranger shifting. We had been sleeping in each other's arms, and he was slowly trying to pull out of my arms.

"Nnn." I groaned, lazily tightening my hold on him.

"Babe." He kissed my forehead. "Let me get up."

"No."

"Babe. I'm going to go get food."

I released him automatically. I dozed in and out of sleep until Ranger came back to the bedroom with a tray with two plates of pancakes and two cups of coffee. We went out onto the balcony and enjoyed the meal while eating. Afterwards, we explored the house until it was dark outside.

We sat down and watched TV for awhile, talking occasionally.

"Do you ever think about getting married?" I asked Ranger.

He looked at me, immediately putting the blank, emotionless face on. "I told you that I couldn't-"

"Ranger, no. Not like that." I put my hand reassuringly on his arm. "I promise, I really didn't mean it like that. I meant, like, if you could go back in time and redo the wedding, the suit you wore, the ring you picked out, something like that." I frantically tried to explain, wanting the blank face to go away more than anything.

"Why, do you think about it?" The blank face was gone.

"Yeah."

"What would you have changed?"

"The part where I got married to Dickie."

"Do you think you would have married Joe if you hadn't married Dickie?"

"No, I don't think so. At that point in time, Joe and I weren't really in contact or anything. I might have been more, 'Lets get married' if I hadn't married Dickie, but then again, I can't change the past. If I did, it would completely change something happening now. If something changed, I might not be here with you."

"In the Bat cave?"

"In the Bat cave. How long are we staying here?"

"As long as we want."

Ranger pulled me off of the couch and kissed me, and as we walked blindly upstairs, I thought that nothing could possibly go wrong in the world.

But something _always _goes wrong.


	10. Bra Fishing

Okay, so I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever.

I hope that everyone is still interested in reading this.

Here's chapter ten, I'm working on eleven as we speak. I will hopefully be able to post it tomorrow, Tuesday at the latest.

I still love all of you beautiful people, so have faith in me.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Especially Ranger. But he's on my Christmas list.

~kj

* * *

It had been twenty minutes and Ranger had not returned. Deciding to see what was taking so long, I went into the bathroom and put on my blue robe from the floor and found my way downstairs and to the kitchen.

"He got out?" I heard Ranger say in an angry voice. "What do you mean, he got out? What kind of prison are you running over there? Oh, maximum security, you say? Where are the security guards? Coffee break? How does a criminal just get out of his cell and walk out?"

I leaned against the doorway, Ranger's back was to me. He hung up the phone and turned around, his angry face softening slightly.

"Babe." He said lightly.

"Menlo got out."

He nodded. "We have to get back to Rangeman. Well, I have to. You can stay here if you want."

"I'll come with you."

"It would be safer if you stayed here."

"This concerns me, too. You wanted to be there with me so you knew you were doing all you could to protect me. I want to do the same. I'm coming with you." I told him.

"Okay."

We ate quickly, got dressed, and drove back to Rangeman. Once there, we went into a meeting in the conference room. Ranger at the head of the table, and me next to him.

"He can't possibly know who we are though, can he?" I asked once the meeting started.

"He knows who you are. He knows we're connected to you. That's all he needs to know." Ranger told me.

"He won't be able to figure out where I am, though. I don't permanently live anywhere right now."

"Babe, do you know how known you are in Trenton? There have been articles in news papers, which means they've probably been online. All he needs is a computer to dig up some dirt on you. Or someone who knows you, even in the slightest."

"But-"

"This guy isn't stupid. He committed several crimes, he managed not to get arrested for several years. He knows what he's doing. We just need to figure out what he's doing and stop him. Until then, no one is safe."

"When you say no one-"

"I mean, literally, no one. You, me, all of us. Your family, Morelli. Lula, Connie. This is a major criminal we're dealing with. We need to inform everyone and get them somewhere safe. Tank, you take care of Connie and Lula. Lester, I want you posted with Stephanie's family. Until then, I want people driving the streets looking for this guy. Check credit cards and any hold ups at convenient stores. Check his residency and his family's residency. His usual hangouts. Anywhere this guy would be, I want checked. Move!"

The entire room erupted in chaos. People were getting up and moving around. Talking and ordering ensued. I remained in my chair, dizzy from the entire meeting.

"Babe, you okay?" Ranger asked. He had gotten up, then come back to lean against the doorframe, looking in at me.

"Yeah. I just need a hot bath. Can you have a bottle of wine sent to my apartment?" I got up and walked past him. I went up to my room and started a hot bubble bath. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. I opened it to see Ella with a cart.

"Hello, dear. I brought you a bottle of sweet wine and a glass. Ranger said you would be in the bath, so I brought a pillow. It fits perfectly on the side of the tub, so it won't move. Also, some scented stress release candles."

"Thank you." I said.

"Anytime, dear. Just leave the cart in the hallway when you're done." She left and I set up the stuff around the bathroom. In a closet near the kitchen, there was a fold up card table. I took it out and set it up in the bathroom with the wine and candles. I put the pillow on the side of the tub and took my clothes off. I sunk into the hot water and sipped at the wine until I had drank three glasses and the water had started to cool off.

I got out and relaxed for awhile, having no sense of time whatsoever. When I happened to look at a clock, I saw that it was six in the evening. I got dressed and called Ranger.

"What's the status?" I asked him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. What's the status?"

"No sign of him so far."

"He could be on the other side of the state by now."

"It's possibly, but not likely. He's probably right here, under our noses."

"Everyone is safe, though?"

"Connie is safe at home, Lula is with Tank. Your parents house is under strict security, your mother is out grocery shopping. Everyone is safe."

"Who is with my mother?"

"She's by herself."

"Why?"

"She was gone when Lester got there."

"Ranger, do you mean to tell me that she was gone before, what time did he get there, two in the afternoon?"

"Around then."

"She was gone at two, and it's six, and she's still not back."

"_Shit!_"

"Who were you on the phone with this morning?"

"Morelli."

"Call him back, find out who he called for his one phone call. Are those calls even traced? Find that out, too. And if it's recorded anywhere."

"Why?"

"Think about it! He was put in jail yesterday, he knows who I am. He gets his one phone call, and then he's gone today, and my mother is missing. He probably called someone to dig up dirt on me, so when he escaped, he would be able to take action right away."

"Babe."

We hung up and I dialed my mother's cell phone number as I went from my apartment to the elevator, intent on getting to the control room.

Her phone went right to voice mail.

I got to the control room, where Ranger was sitting in front of the monitors. He was on the phone, the chair facing away from the elevator.

"Find out, then call me back." He hung up the phone and swung the chair around towards me.

"Babe." He held out his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me into his lap. He kept his phone out and dialed another number.

"Go to the grocery store nearest the Plum's residence and search it for her mother." He hung up and dialed another number.

"We have reason to believe that Mrs. Plum might be missing. Spread word and look for her, as well." He hung up the phone and finally put it down.

"Ranger." I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and wrapped an arm around me.

"It will be okay." He assured me.

We sat in silence for awhile, but his phone ringing interrupted us.

"Status," he ordered into the phone. He looked at me while the other person was speaking.

"Babe," he said lightly when he hung up. "Your mother's car was found at the grocery store, but your mother was not."

"He'll get in touch, then, won't he? He'll call with some sort of ransom or say that he will let her go if I go to him, right?"

"Hopefully."

"Give me keys."

"What?"

I stood. "Give me keys. I want to be out there, looking for them."

Ranger stood and went into his office. I followed while he pulled a few things out of his desk.

"Keys to the Grand Prix, again. I'll show you anything you need to know about the car. This white box is a keychain GPS with a distress button. If anything goes wrong, no matter what it is, press it. A signal will be sent to my phone and to the rest of the team with your exact location at the time you pressed it. This," he held up what looked like a sticker, "is another GPS device. It sticks to any place on your body and your location will show up on the monitor with the map of Trenton. Keep your cell phone at hand, and call me every once in awhile."

"Where should I put the sticker?" I asked him.

He smiled lightly. He walked around his desk and sat on the edge and pulled me between his legs.

"I have just the place for it." His cold hands slipped under my shirt and bra. He put the sticker on the swell of my left breast.

"Great, so someone will find it if they go bra fishing. Great idea, Batman." I patted his shoulder and stepped back from him.

"No one should be bra fishing with you, except me. Lets go." He stood and grabbed the keys and GPS off his desk.


	11. Did you say heated leather seats?

I promised! Here is chapter 11. Primped and polished for your enjoyment.

I'm actually done with the next few chapters, but I'll put them up one day at a time, so I have time to write the next few.

So chapter 12 will be up tomorrow.

I love you all, I love your reviews and all of your prettiness combined.

So, enjoy. Also, I still own nothing, much to my dismay.

~kj

* * *

In the parking garage, Ranger led me to the black Grand Prix again.

"The backseat folds down, if in the trunk, all you would have to do is kick it down. The trunk has a emergency latch right inside, where it actually clicks into the trunk. Right here." Ranger opened the trunk with the remote and showed it. "It's a simple button, and it's neon green and glows in the dark, you won't miss it. The car itself is a automatic. There are lights on the mirrors and in the glove department, heated leather seats, and there's a kit inside the consol between the passenger and driver seat with everything a Rangeman employee would need, and everything I hope you don't. Gun, bullets, handcuffs, pepper spray. There's a bullet proof vest under the passenger seat."

"Did you say heated leather seats?"

"Babe."

"I know, I know. I was paying attention, I swear!"

"Be safe, okay? You can destroy as many cars as you want, just not yourself. I can replace material objects, I can't replace you."

"Or the money you're bleeding for this."

"That doesn't matter. I'm sorry I said it in that way, if it worries you every time something happens. Everything that happens with you is more like a paper cut. One drop of blood, at the most. It barely rises to the surface."

"Don't worry. You're not sending me out to war or to my death. I'm just going to be driving around all night."

"I still worry."

"I'll be fine. I promise. I just want to look for myself."

Ranger pressed me against the car and kissed me. "Remember what I said. I love you."

"I love you, too."

He left and I started the car and drove out of the garage. I drove around Trenton, occasionally seeing a Rangeman car pass by me. I drove by Menlo's house, my parent's house, and even Morelli's house. I drove around to all of the bars in Trenton, hoping to see something that would give me a hint.

I drove around until nine in the evening and saw absolutely nothing. I drove back to Rangeman and parked. Before, the garage had been empty, but now there were at least ten cars back. I took the elevator to the control room to see Ranger sitting there, staring at the monitors.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing." I confirmed, sitting next to him.

"Your mother yelled at you and insulted you to the point of a breakdown. She pressured you into marrying a man you didn't want to marry, then scolding you when you backed out of it. She constantly reminds you of your failed marriage and your sister's success, and I say that lightly, in love and marriage and kids. She's always tried to conform you into something you weren't, but into something that she is, the Burg. Why are you so upset that she's missing? Or so intent on trying to find her?"

"She's my mother. No matter what we say or do to each other, we love each other unconditionally. She may be disappointed in the way my life is going, but I know that she's just trying to guide me to happiness. And I suppose that any mother might be concerned with her daughter's occupation as a bounty hunter. No matter what happens, she's my mother and I love her."

Ranger and I were silent for awhile, watching the monitors.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." I told him, standing up.

"Okay, I'll be up soon."

"Up soon?" I asked, completely confused.

"You're going to bed…oh. I'm sorry. I didn't even think about the fact that you have your own apartment. I'm sorry. We've spent the last couple nights today, so I kind of assumed you were going to stay on my floor with me. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

He was nervous and babbling. It was kind of cute.

I laughed. "Ranger, relax. If you really want me to sleep in your bed, you can just ask."

"Are you going to stay with me tonight?"

"Okay." I hugged him and kissed his cheek and left. I went to my apartment and threw everything I would need into a laundry basket. Cell phone charger, cell phone, keys, toothbrush, a few pairs of pants, underwear, socks, bras, and shirts. I changed into pajamas and brought everything up to the seventh floor with me. I put my toothbrush in the bathroom and plugged my phone into a charger near the nightstand, keys in the dish by the door, and the clothes in the closet. I climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly.

I awoke to light shining into the windows onto the bed. I groaned and rolled over, only to fall off the bed.

"Ow." I groaned again as I stood up and realized that I was in Ranger's room. And had fallen out of Ranger's bed. And at this moment, Ranger was chuckling in bed at me.

"Babe," he said with a happy smile, and grabbed my waist and pulled me back into bed.

"So not funny!" I pulled away from him and hit him with my pillow.

"Definitely funny."

"Not funny!" I put my pillow over his face and held it there. "Are you dead from lack of air yet?" I asked.

"No."

"Tell me when you die, would you?"

"I don't think so." Ranger pulled the pillow away and threw it onto the floor, then grabbed my wrists and rolled over so he was pinning me to the bed.

"Not fair."

"Definitely fair."

He leaned down and kissed me. I kissed back, with passion flowing through my veins. His fingers trailed down my body and then under my shirt. He inched my shirt up, exposing my bare skin.

Then his cell phone rang.

I groaned as he rolled off of me and grabbed his phone off the nightstand.

"Speak," he ordered into the phone. "Took you long enough. You've got to be kidding me." He looked back at me. "Really? I can't tell her that. Send the tape over."

"What was that?" I asked, concerned, and expecting to hear something about my mother's dead body found.

"Not that bad, Babe." Damn ESP!

"What is it?"

"Morelli found out who Menlo called on his one phone call."

"And?"

"You're not going to like it."

"Tell me."

"Joyce Barnhardt."

"WHAT?!" I screamed.

"I told you."

"What the hell?"

"Morelli's bringing the tape over."

"What the hell? Seriously?! What harm is that bitch NOT willing to do to me?"

"She hasn't killed you."

"Yet!"

"Stephanie, calm down. It's not going to do you any good to get worked up over this."

"But how could it be her?"

"I don't know. We'll find out when he gets here. In the meantime, it will be less than ten minutes before he gets here. So get dressed."

I groaned and got out of bed. I brushed my teeth and got dressed and gave my hair from hell the glare of death. As usual, it was as good as it was going to get.

I was pouring a cup of coffee when there was a knock at the door. I put everything down as quickly as I could and ran to the door, pushing Ranger out of my way. I opened the door to see Joe standing there with a cassette tape. I took it and ran into the bedroom and put it in the clock radio on the nightstand.

"Hello?" She said in her annoying bird-trapped-in-a-blender voice.

"Remember me?"

"Fred? Oh, I remember you, honey. The one night wonder. I'm surprised you remembered my number."

"I'm in jail. Some little brunette got me out of my house. I tried to drown her in her car, but then some other guys came along and arrested me."

"What little brunette?"

"I don't remember her name. Plum?"

"Stephanie?"

"You know her."

"Very well, we go…well, way back." She giggled.

"What do you know about her?"

"Everything, what do you need to know?"

"Where does she live?"

"Not sure about that. She might be with her parents again. She just walked out on a wedding. I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Where do her parents live?"

"Around the corner from me. The white house. I think it's number eighty-six."

"Great. Thanks. You really helped me out. And you're such a freak in bed."

The call ended.

I turned to the door to see Joe and Ranger standing there.

The anger was bubbling inside me. That whore!

I walked passed them and took the elevator down to the gym. I put on a pair of punching gloves and hit the punching bag until I was sweating and tired.

I turned away from it to see Ranger and Joe leaning against the wall.

"Okay. I'm good now." I assured them.

"That was quite a show, babe." Ranger took the gloves from me and tossed them back into the punching bag area.

"She's such a whore. It's all her fault! And she slept with him. What a slut. Is there anyone she won't sleep with?"

"Nope." Joe answered. "But if he really did kidnap your mother, she can be charged with accessory."

"Great. I'll keep that in mind." I told him.

We stood around and talked for awhile, then Joe had to leave and go to work. Ranger and I went back to the top floor and had breakfast. Afterwards, I took a shower and got dressed again.

"What's the plan today?" I asked him.

"Tank and Lula are watching the monitors today. You and I are going to drive around together pretty much all day. There are going to be a few people staked out near Joyce's house, just in case."

"Fabulous, to the Bat Mobile."


	12. Let's break into someone's house!

So I know that I said that I wouldn't publish this until tomorrow, but...

I kind of finished the story. So I'm posting it all tonight. Enjoy.

I love all of you so much, I hope you enjoy this. I'm sorry it took too long.

And I will probably be starting a sequal, or some sort of follow up or side story.

~kj

* * *

Ranger and I had been driving around in the turbo since ten in the morning.

It was now three in the afternoon, and I was completely and utterly bored.

"Ranger, I'm so bored."

"Babe."

"Are you annoyed with me yet?"

"I'm reminded why I always tell myself not to bring you on stakeouts."

"But you love me."

"I know."

"I'm bored! There's nothing to do. All we've done is drive around Trenton eight times. I doubt they would be out in the daytime, anyway. We're just wasting gas. Which is bad for the environment. Ranger, why are you killing the environment? You should go green."

"_Babe._"

"Well? Are you going to go green?"

"Babe."

"Can we go shopping?"

"No."

"What if they're at the mall?"

"With all the police in Trenton looking for your mother?"

"It's possible. Maybe he covered her face."

"In a mall."

"I want to go shopping."

"Is there anything within reason that will shut you up?"

"We should call someone else who is in a Rangeman car and switch passengers or something."

"You're stuck with me, I'm sorry."

"But, then-"

"No."

"I'm hungry."

"No, you're not. You had six doughnuts earlier."

"You made me stand outside while I ate them! I burned off all those calories, I need to take in more."

"Babe."

"Lets break into someone's house!"

"Babe."

I groaned and went back to looking out the window. At Trenton, which I had seen exactly eight times already today.

I put my hand on Ranger's knee and he jumped slightly. His eyes remained on the road and his hands on the steering wheel, his concentration on driving. I inched my hand up his leg slowly, but nothing happened. I inched my hand up to his thigh, and nothing. I slid my hand to touch the inside of his lower thigh, then inched my hand towards his upper tight.

He twitched.

I giggled.

Ranger pulled his cell phone out and dialed a number. "Meet me in the McDonalds parking lot." He hung up the phone and put it in his pocket.

"Woo! McDonalds party!"

He pulled into McDonalds and parked and a few minutes later, a black Hummer pulled into the space next to us. Ranger opened his door and pulled the keys from the ignition.

"Get out," he told me.

I got out and waited as he walked around to my side of the car, where the Hummer was parked. The driver got out and I saw that it was Lester.

"What's up, boss?"

"We're switching cars."

"Okay." Lester walked around us and got into the Turbo and drove off. Ranger got into the Hummer, and I walked around to the passenger side and got in.

"No, you're sitting in the backseat."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

I closed the passenger door and got into the backseat of the Hummer.

Then I saw, there was a little TV screen on the ceiling of the car, behind the two front seats. Ranger and I both buckled up and he handed me a remote and a pair of headphones.

He started the car and drove out of McDonalds and went back to circling around Trenton. I turned the TV on and watched cable TV for a minute before unbuckling and wrapping my arms around Ranger from behind.

"Thanks." I said, kissing his cheek, then went back to my show.

A few hours later, Ranger pulled into Rangeman.

"Why are we back here?" I asked, pulled the headphones off.

"Dinner."

We went up to the seventh floor, ate a quick dinner, then went back to driving around Trenton. I tried calling my mother's cell phone again, but it went straight to voicemail. I sat in the passenger seat. It was dark and getting late, and if we were going to see anything, it was going to be now. Since Ranger was watching the road, I wanted to be another set of eyes that saw everything.

Hours passed, and nothing happened. Ranger pulled into a gas station and filled the tank. At the traffic light near the station, there was a silver Jeep Wrangler stopped at a red light.

A Jeep Wrangler! That's what Menlo was driving the night Ranger and I staked out the bar. I looked to see that Ranger was just about to open his door. My adrenaline was rushing and I needed him to hurry.

He opened the door. "HURRY!" I yelled at him.

"What?" He asked as he jumped into the hummer, buckled up, and started the engine.

"Follow that Jeep!" I told him, pointing towards it just as the light turned green. Ranger slammed on the gas and drove out of the station in a hurry and got so he was two cars behind the Jeep.

"Oh! That's the same color and year of the Wrangler Menlo was driving."

"My point exactly!" I rolled my eyes, keeping my attention on the car.

"Babe, very impressive."

"Yes, build a shrine around my feet or something."

"Babe. Call Lester and tell him to find our location and follow us, and get everyone else to. We need back up."

I did as he asked, and within ten minutes, there were four Rangeman vehicles following us. Damn, those Merry Men got the job done.

"Call Tank at control and make sure he's keeping track of this."

I called and Tank answered breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"Um…hi, Tank. Ranger wants to make sure that you're watching the screens."

"Tank." I heard a moan in the background.

"Oh my God, was that Lula?" I asked him.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean, watching the monitors!" He hung up.

I laughed.

"What?" Ranger asked.

"Well…since Lula and Tank were there…together…alone…all day…"

"Are you telling me I need that room cleaned and sanitized?"

"Probably."

"Ew."

I laughed and Ranger took my hand from my lap, kissed my palm, and then enlaced our fingers on the consol.

We followed the Jeep to a dirt road in the middle of no where. Ranger pulled onto the side of the road and stopped the Hummer, letting the Jeep turn and get ahead of us.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Babe, this is a deserted road, he's going to notice if someone is following him, if it's even him. This road leads to an old factory that has been closed down for several years. It's a dead end. We can get out and walk and check it out, but we're not driving."

"Fine. Lets walk." I got out of the Hummer and started walking in the direction that the Jeep drove towards. Ranger and several Merry Men joined me. We walked in silence for the length of the road, the occasional stepping on a leaf or stick breaking the silence.

We approached the factory. It was small for a factory. It was brick, but many of the bricks were missing or crumbling. The building looked old and dirty. There were plants and vines growing all around and on it. There were lights on inside, somehow. The silver Jeep Wrangler was parked right in the front of the door for the building.

I was about to run for the door and kick it open, but I was held back.

"Babe, we can't do this right now. We have to wait until we have equipment and know what is inside there." He whispered. I knew enough not to say anything back yet, not until we were driving away from the building. If I made noise and attracted the attention of anyone inside, the entire operation was screwed.

I let them lead me back to the cars, but I was very clearly upset.

Once in the Hummer, Ranger pulled away quickly, and I started crying.

"Ranger, he has my mom. They were right there, in that building."

"Babe, we have to wait. We'll have guys stake out the building tomorrow night so we get an idea of what is inside there."

"Tomorrow night? I have to wait that long to find out if my mother is dead or alive?"

"Babe."

We got back to Rangeman and Ranger and I went up to the seventh floor. He went to take a shower, and I got ready to leave.

If he wasn't going to help me, I would go alone.


	13. Shootings

**Ranger usually showered for ten minutes. Which meant that I had ten minutes to get ready and leave before anyone noticed. **

**I strapped a gun to my ankle and a knife to my other ankle. I put a bulletproof vest on and attached a holster and a gun to my side. I put a can of pepper spray in my pocket. I put a box of bullets in my pocket. I grabbed the distress key chain that Ranger had given me and put the sticker GPS back under my bra.**

**I put on a big sweatshirt and grabbed a pair of keys and left the apartment before the water for his shower even turned off. I took the Grand Prix and drove as quickly as I could to the factory. It had been twenty minutes at the most, and everything was the same. I parked a hundred yards away, just so they wouldn't see the headlights or head the engine. Out of the consol I took the handcuffs, just in case.**

**I took my cell phone out of my pocket and texted Ranger.**

"**I'm sorry. I love you." **

**I got out of the car, ran to the factory, and kicked the door open. It was bright inside with overhead lights. The factory was one room, one floor. There were boxes everywhere, and huge wooden crates that made it seem like the building contained several rooms. The kicking of the door made a massive noise and echoed throughout the factory. The area I walked into was boxed in by the crates, but there was an area of space that acted like a doorway into the next area. I walked into there to find a larger area, there was a table and chairs there, along with an old mattress. That led into a bigger area. **

**My heart was pounding, my adrenaline rushing through me. My senses were heightened. I could almost hear my heart pounding in my chest. I was starting to sweat, and I made sure to be light on my toes, as not to make noise, and so I would hear any other noise in the factory. **

**In the next area, I found my mother. She was looking wide eyed at me. She was gagged and tied to a chair. She was shaking her read from left to right and making muffled noises as I got closer.**

**Then I heard the cock of a gun.**

**I looked to my left to see Frederick Menlo, holding a large gun about ten feet away from me.**

"**Well, Stephanie Plum. Here to save your mommy, I see."**

**I didn't answer. I tried to naturally move my hands to my sides, to get at one of my defense items. The spray, the gun, **_**anything.**_

"**Stop! Don't move. Heavens knows what you've got under there. You'll be happy to hear that I've been taking good care of your mommy. She's such a peach, don't you think? I was going to kill her and leave her somewhere, for revenge. Then, I decided better. What kind of statement would that me making? Really, you got me sent to prison. I knew that you would find me sometime. I made sure that you did. I made sure to drive around at night, when you would definitely be looking for me. Was that too easy? Maybe. But it got you here, that's what matters."**

"**You have me now, so let her go."**

"**No, no, no. My dear. You didn't hear the rest of my plan. I decided to wait until you got here, then kill your mother in front of you. Think that's enough, or should I kill you, too? No witnesses that way, but then you don't have to live with the images of her being murdered in front of you."**

**That monster. He was seriously pondering this.**

"**You're sick."**

"**And you've walked into my trap." He fired the gun at me.**

**Time slowed down. I couldn't move out of the way, but I could almost see the bullet moving towards me in slow motion. Before I knew it, it hit me in the stomach and I was on the ground, holding my stomach.**

**The vest stopped the bullet from penetrating my body, but the bullet had still been going at a fast rate towards my body, so it still knocked the wind out of me. It would definitely bruise later.**

"**I didn't want to do that Stephanie."**

**With my arms at my stomach, I could reach the gun in my holster. I slowly did that, and he didn't notice at all. I stood up quickly and cocked the gun, my finger on the trigger.**

"**You didn't count on me being prepared." I told him. **

"**Shoot me, Stephanie. I'll just shoot you. You're wearing a vest, but that doesn't protect everything." **

**He was right. He could hit my legs, arms, or head. **

**The only way he wouldn't shoot me was if I killed him first. But no matter how much harm this man had done, no matter what he had done to me or my family, I couldn't **_**kill **_**him.**

**I stood completely still, the gun still aimed at him. His was aimed at me, his hands steady. My hands were shaking slightly, the gun unstill in my hands. We stood like that for what seemed like several minutes.**

"**Not going to shoot? Fine, I'll make the first move." He said, laughing. He aimed the gun at my mother and shot. **

**I screamed and ran to her before he cocked the gun at me again.**

**My mother was making muffled screaming noises. I looked to see that there was a small patch of blood on her arm. **

"**Mom, it's okay. I know it hurts, but it's not a fatal wound. You'll be okay." I tried to assure her. **

"**Get away from her." He yelled at me, motioning for me to move away with his gun. I moved away, my gun suddenly tight in my hand.**

"**You shot her, you bastard. She's completely innocent in this! How could you do that?"**

"**I've hurt a lot of innocent people over the years. Doesn't make a difference." **

"**I can't believe you…you….you…you monster!" I yelled at him, finally raising my gun and shooting. **

**It was as if time stopped, then started again in the future. I knew I shot the gun and had aimed it at him, but the next thing I knew, he was on the ground, clutching his hip.**

**My mother was completely still, I was completely still. We were both in shock, but Frederick Menlo was on the ground, groaning in pain. While he was weak, I went to my mother and pulled the knife off of the ankle strap and cut the ropes that were holding her back. I cut her gag quickly and handed her my cell phone and car keys.**

"**Get out of here." I told her. "Call 911 and get yourself to the hospital."**

"**Stephanie, what about you?"**

"**Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Take care of yourself." **

**I pushed her away from the area we were in and turned back to Menlo. He was leaning against one of the wooden crates, his back to me, trying to get up. I had my gun in one hand and my knife in the other when I jumped onto his back, pushing him back onto the ground.**

"**You bitch!" He yelled at me. **

"**Shut up!" I told him, holding the gun to the back to his head. "If you move, I'll shoot."**

"**Bullshit."**

**He started to wiggle beneath me and moved his arm and knocked me off of him and onto the floor. My head slammed against the hard floor and I got dizzy for a few seconds. I ignored my dizziness and jumped back on him and held the knife to his neck and the gun to the back of the head.**

"**Don't move." I told him.**

**Before I knew it, he jumped up and held my legs to his sides, as if he were giving me a piggy back ride. He slammed me against the wooden crates, then dropped me. I fell to the ground. **

**I was in pain. My back and head hurt. I was dizzy and I was paranoid that I was bleeding.**

"**Well, it's been lovely, but I'll be going now." Menlo said, heading towards the exit.**

"**I don't think so." I said. I aimed my gun at his foot and fired. **

**This time, I saw where he was hit and collapse.**

"**You fucking bitch! I'm going to fucking kill you." **

"**I don't think so." Menlo and I both looked to see the owner of the voice.**

**Ranger came into the area, holding a gun aimed at Menlo. **

"**You shoot, you die." Ranger told him.**

"**Your little girlfriend doesn't follow through on anything. Lets see if you do."**

**Menlo looked at me, behind him on the ground, swung his arm back, and shot the gun. **


	14. You have a deal, Batman

I felt the impact. It slammed me against the wooden crates.

A few minutes passed by. Ranger and I were looking at each other, shocked. Menlo was looking back at me, shocked.

I looked down and saw that the bullet had down through the material of my sweatshirt, but it was stuck in the bulletproof vest. I slowly stood and the bullet fell to the ground.

The vest stopped the bullet, but it didn't stop the impact. The place the bullet hit was pounding in pain, and it would definitely be bruised later.

Tank and Lester and a bunch of Merry Men came in and put handcuffs on Menlo. They dragged him off and Ranger and I were left staring at each other.

He sighed, shook his head, and walked away.

"Ranger?" I asked, not understanding. He continued walking away. I chased after him, but he was walking away too fast for me to completely catch up.

"What were you thinking?" He asked in a harsh manor after turning around suddenly.

"What?" I practically squeaked.

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking," I said, standing as straight as I could, "that I had to save my mother."

"So you put yourself in danger, again? You leave while I'm in the shower? So I have to go through this whole crazy process of figuring out that you're gone, finding that text message, locating you, and finding you here!? What was going through your mind? Why are you so reckless?"

"Oh, I don't know, Ranger. Maybe the part where my mother was being held hostage by this guy, and we finally track him down, and all you want to do is walk away? I'll tell you what, next time I get kidnapped and held hostage, you can find me and track me down, then wait a day to figure out what to do. You try sitting around, knowing where I am, but not knowing if I'm dead or alive or being treated well. If you can do that, you're a stronger person than I am."

I collected myself and walked past him on my way to the door. Lester and a bunch of Merry Men were waiting outside. I walked to Lester and he put his arms around me.

"Take me to the hospital." I told him.

He helped me over to one of the Rangeman trucks and lifted me inside. He got into the other side and drove silently to the hospital. As soon as we got there, I checked on my mother. She was lying in a hospital bed in a hospital gown, a bandage around her arm where she was shot.

"Stephanie. You're okay." She sighed.

"Yeah. I told you I would be okay."

"Stephanie Plum, your job is completely inappropriate. I will have you know that I will never approve of it. I think you need a stable, reliable, safe job. If it wasn't for you, my life wouldn't have been put in the hands of some crazy killer trying to lead you into a trap."

I sighed and looked down.

Just what I needed. Ranger mad at me, and my mother giving me a lecture about how I'm a failure and Valerie is a success. A baby-breeding success.

"But if it wasn't for you, I would be dead." She put her hand on my cheek and smiled. "I kind of understand it now. Helping to put the criminals behind bars and keeping innocent people safe."

"Mom, that really means a lot to me."

"Maybe your grandmother was right all these years. Maybe you're not a Burg girl, maybe you're made for bigger things."

"I'm going to go get checked out. Make sure you call Dad and let him know you're alright."

"Oh, Stephanie." She called just as I was leaving.

"Yeah?"

She pointed to the table next to her bed. "Your cell phone and keys. I really like that car." She said, smiling.

"Me too. Heated leather seats." I laughed and left the room.

The hospital staff concluded that I would be bruised and sore, but that I was fine. I was released and Lester drove us back to Rangeman.

In the parking lot, we sat for a few minutes, neither of us moving to get out.

"He hates me, Lester."

"He could never hate you, Bombshell."

"He's furious with me."

"I don't think he's furious with you. I think he's furious with himself. He wasn't thinking about it in the way that you were. For him, it was another hostage, for you, it was your mother. He's mad that he drove you to have to go alone, and endanger yourself. He's scared, too. He's scared that now that he finally has you, he's going to lose you."

"But he's not going to lose me."

"You don't know that. Just give him time, he'll come around."

I pulled out my cell phone and sent another text to Ranger.

_Should I sleep in my apartment tonight?_

If he was going to be furious with me, I deserved to at least know and not go all the way up to his apartment, just for him to turn me away.

_No. _He finally texted back.

Lester and I got out of the truck, finally, and took the elevator into the building. He got off at the control room, and I continued to the seventh floor.

The door was unlocked, so I went in and put my keys and cell phone in the glass dish. I took my shoes off and took off the holster and two ankle straps. I left the weapons on the table and took the sticker GPS off of my boob.

The apartment was dark and silent. I quietly walked into the bedroom to see that Ranger was already in bed. I went into the bathroom and pealed my clothes off and got in the shower. I shaved my legs and washed my body, careful of the bruises that were already forming. I got out of the shower and dried off, changed into pajamas, and carefully climbed into bed.

Ranger was lying with his back to me, on his side. He was wearing sweatpants, but no shirt. I moved over so my front was pressed to his back. I wrapped my arm around his waist. He was so much bigger than me, but I was still comfortable. I lightly kissed his back before rolling back over onto my side to sleep.

I woke to sunlight streaming in the window, and a heater beside me. I shifted and realized that Ranger was lying with his chest against my back, and his arm slung over me.

I rolled around to face him, to see that he was already awake.

I reached up and touched his face lightly.

"Do you still love me?" I asked him.

He looked at me, his eye brows furrowed. "Of course."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should be sorry."

"Is he back in jail?" I asked, referring to Menlo?

"Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean, not exactly?"

"We didn't want to bring him back to jail, in case he found a way to escape again, so-"

"You didn't kill him, did you?" I demanded.

"No. We made a deal with the police. We keep him under our surveillance until his court date."

"He's not…here, is he?"

"No babe, he's far away from you."

"Oh. Good."

"What about Joyce?"

"She has a court date next week, on the charges of accessory to kidnap."

"Good, smug bitch."

"It's likely that Menlo will face a life in jail."

"He deserves it."

"I agree."

"Did we ever find out how he got out of jail the first time?"

"Someone was working there that let him out. We don't know who, but when he goes back to jail, it won't be here. It will be in the state pen."

"Okay."

"There's a meeting downstairs in ten minutes. We should get ready."

"I don't want to get up."

"I'll get you a milkshake."

"You still owe me a milkshake from the stake out!"

"You totally forgot about it until now."

"And you're totally going to make up for those lost calories."

"No, I think we should get married, so we can have wedding cake."

"Or we could not get married, and just get the cake."

"No. I want to get married."

"I think Lester is single."

"Why won't you marry me?"

"Have you noticed our track records with marriage?"

"Of course. So we should try again."

"I don't think so."

Ranger climbed out of bed and went into the closet to get dressed.

"Quitters never win!"

"Babe," he called back out.

"I almost died yesterday. You should marry me."

"Get ready for the meeting." He said, leaving the closet and going into the bathroom. I went into the closet and put on cargo pants and a tight black shirt. I went into the bathroom and pushed Ranger away from the mirror, where he was combing his hair.

I brushed my teeth, applied deodorant, and adjusted my hair as best I could.

I stood by the door until Ranger was ready.

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" I asked him.

"Fine."

I jumped onto his back and he carried me easily into the elevator and pressed the button for the control room.

"So, about our wedding." I started.

"There isn't going to be one."

"Yes there is, anyway. I'm thinking blue and white for wedding colors."

"Babe." He groaned as the elevator stopped at the control room. He started walking to the conference room.

"I promise, I won't walk out on this wedding, like I did with Joe. So I decided I want a silver engagement ring. Something simple and classic, diamonds of course." I kissed his cheek and giggled, he knew I was kidding.

We walked into the conference room, where everyone was already sitting and chatting, and didn't stop as we walked in. Ranger let me down and we sat at the head of the table, someone had moved a chair so now there were two.

We all sat down and came to order. Ranger discussed a few security jobs that had to be worked on in the next few weeks, made a short comment about Menlo, then dismissed the meeting.

"That's all?" I asked Ranger as we walked to the elevator, hand in hand.

"For now. We could train you in security, so you're not stuck doing searches all day."

"I would like that." Once the elevator door closed, Ranger pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"I'm not going to promise that we'll ever get married, but I'm not going to deny that we ever will. Lets get take it one day at a time and see where life takes us."

"You have a deal, Batman."


End file.
